Sailing with Paul

Oddly enough, it turns out that life on a boat (or island) is quite distinctly different from life on the mainland.

I'm sure that will shock and amaze everyone reading this, but really, it's true.  Of course, one expects some differences (smaller beds and bathrooms, for example), but some of the differences change one's understanding of the world (and enlighten one's understanding of much of the New Testament, especially Paul) in ways this landlubber didn't expect.

Weather has a huge impact on how plans are (or aren't) realized in ocean travel.  Here in Montana, I can travel from one city to another on pretty much any given day.  I may have to wait for snowplows to clear the road, or I may be endangering my life in icy conditions, but for anyone really determined, travel is possible.  The same is not true on a boat - especially a sailboat, like the one Paul would have been on.  If the wind is against you, you might not even be able to get your boat out of port.  With the motor on the Morning Star we were able to travel and maneuver in and out of port, even in the absence of favorable winds, making our travels much easier than Paul's.  Still, weather did cause us a few delays.  It gives a whole new perspective on passages like Acts 27. 

And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board. We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. ~Acts 27:4-7

One can imagine being cold, cramped, and tired of the constant motion as the sailors labored to make headway against contrary winds.  A trip that in good weather would have taken a couple days now took several, and those ships were not built for comfort. 

Speed and, tangentially, distance also take on a whole new meaning.  You may have only 50 miles to go, and you may be able to see your destination from where you are, but if your sailboat has a top speed of 7 knots (or about 8mph), that's a long trip!  If the wind is in the right direction and nothing breaks, there's a good chance you may reach your destination that day.   

We were never out of the sight of land during our tours of the Greek Isles - but just because you can see it, doesn't mean you can reach it. 

Of course, in modern times we've found some ways to manage.  Airplanes travel between some of the Greek islands, making some speed possible.  Ferries travel between almost all the islands, some moving at an excess of 20 or 30 knots (which is still not very fast).  I just find it amusing that even with all our technology, the sea finds ways to thwart our plans and slow us down.

Another aspect that I didn't give much thought was the close proximity you have with everyone else on the boat - and you don't get to choose who you travel with.  On our boat we were blessed to at least share the same faith - though backgrounds differed wildly.  The thing is, on a boat, as in much of life, you're not together based on where you come from, but where you're going.  Sharing the same destination may not give you much in common, but it's a starting point.  One can imagine Paul beginning there as he conversed with sailors, soldiers, and other pagans on his travels.  And perhaps by the end of the boat trip, they had more in common, this time an eternal destination.  

In general, on a boat one begins to realize how very out of control we humans are.  We can make plans but they can easily be thwarted by wind, waves, mechanical problems, or even interpersonal problems.  Yet, even as our human plans fall through, we begin to realize that God has plans for us that are better and will never be thwarted.