Be Calm

A reflection on Sieger Köder’s ‘Be Calm’

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• Scripture • Mark 4:35-41

  35 On the same day, when evening had come, Jesus said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.”
  36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

  39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

• Psalm 46: 1-4, 10-11

  God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

  2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

  4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.

  10.He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

  11 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

• Topic • Overcoming Adversity

  Storms of Life

Reflecting deeper on Mark 4:35-41; the disciples, in the boat with Jesus, lost all hope when the storms raged.  They lost sight of who was with them in the boat, they forgot that he said ‘Let us go to the other side!’ They lost hope in what Jesus could do, that even the wind and waves obeyed him.

Let us use our senses and our imagining by looking at a painting of Sieger Köder, ‘Be Calm.’

‘Be calm’ by Sieger Köder depicts the scene of Mark 4:35-41 and speaks of storms and adversity, sometimes it feels like the waves come over and overcome us. The story and the picture, and the saviour urge us to trust, not to be afraid to call out for help, and to know that even when we can’t overcome the storms, we know someone who can.

The painting captures both the storm and the presence of Christ.

The Sea of Galilee, where the events recorded here took place, is a place where a sea squall can blow up quickly. So even for experienced fishermen like Peter and friends, it was terrifying to be in the middle of that storm.

Look at the terror on the faces in the picture and try to imagine what it was like.

1. Imagine being in storm, Jesus is asleep. What are you thinking?

2. Where are you in the boat, what are you doing - what are you saying?

3. What do you think when the oar breaks, the mast snaps, the waves come over?

4. Jesus awakes, he calms the storm – how do you feel? Think about his closeness.

5. Jesus asks why you were afraid, really why are you afraid. What’s your answer?

What are you hearing as you respond to this picture and this story?
What is Jesus saying?
What is He saying to you?

Take time to enter the encounter through the painting, write or record in some way your response and if possible share with someone afterwards.

‘There is no aspect of human life where God is not present, but that way of being present often confounds our expectations and preconceived notions of the divine. Embrace the presence of a God who responds, often unexpectedly, to our desire for an encounter with him – a God who is always with us.’

The Closeness of God, Gemma Simmonds CJ, Director of
Religious Life Institute at Margaret Beaufort Institute Cambridge

End with Psalm 46:1-4,10. Notice the theme of wind and waves.

Psalm 46:1-4,10
1 God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging.

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy place where the Most High dwells

10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

Background: German priest-painter Sieger Köder died in his 91st year on  9 February 2015.  He was born in Wasseralfingen, Swabia, Germany. Köder trained as a silversmith and painter and worked as a secondary school art teacher.  Aged 41, he studied theology in Tübingen and was ordained in 1971.  

Köder’s work shows the artistic influence of Marc Chagall (1887-1985) distinctive for its strong colours and robust, ample figures. There is challenge, anger, humour and tenderness in his depictions of biblical scenes, and an eye for the human response to God’s communication.  Köder shows the cost of discipleship in those who met Jesus in the gospels. He also shows the full range of personal responses to Jesus in the features and body language of minor figures in the crowd.  

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