A sailor's sail

Personal Photo: this photo is from Maui, on the sailboat. Clay and my brother were even able to help raise the sail a couple times. The enormity of the sail, the stark white against the background of this world, is a beautiful sight. In the same way that the sail harnesses the power of the wind, with Christ we have the ability to harness the forces we feel. In turn, we have the ability to lead by example, to have courage in a dark world.

The warm sun on my face felt like a hug wrapping itself around me as I dried off from just being in the water. I was in Maui, Hawaii, and I had spent the entirety of the morning on a sailboat in the Pacific Ocean, pausing here and there to jump into the water and snorkel around the reef. I love swimming, and this snorkel trip was always a highlight of our family vacation. We did it every single year, usually numerous times, enjoying the nearby whales, looking for dolphins, and reaching our snorkel destinations. It was so much more than just a simple snorkel trip, as sailing was just as fun and just as memorable. One of the most magnificent moments was when we heard the engine shut off, we would float for a few minutes and then the crew would hoist the enormous sail up, and as soon as we caught the wind, we felt like we were soaring across the ocean from Maui to Lanai.

Sailing is nothing less than an art, and it takes incredible skill to be able to navigate the wide-open waters with using the wind as the guide. The sailor must learn how to put up his sail and follow the wind, to harness its direction in order to use its force to find a way to cover distance on the water. I have been thinking quite a bit about the importance of using the sail, of learning how to follow; We can learn a lot from this concept of following, and as challenging as it may be sometimes, knowing how and who to follow teaches us how to lead.

Our society today is all about leadership. Our managers sign us up for leadership courses, the news we watch talk about how much power world leaders have and seek, we are encouraged to be leaders of our generation, carving the path for others. Learning how to be a leader is an important skill set, but I find that it is only half of the equation. As believers in Christ, we must not only know how to lead, but we must also know how to follow. 1 Peter 2:21 reads "For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps." We are told here to follow in Jesus's footsteps. We are not told to carve a new path, to define new ways to follow Christ. Rather, we are told that we are called to imitate Jesus, to lead our society by following Him. We cannot lead without following.

I used the example of a sailboat at the beginning of this article, and it really helped me understand the importance of following. Sailors without a sail are dependent upon their motors, oars, and the current of the water. Motors might work for a while, but they eventually run out of gas, using oars is tiresome and ineffective in an ocean, and depending on the current of the water can be time-sucking and unpredictable. Without the sail, the boat and those on the boat would be lost, floating on the open ocean. However, as soon as that sail gets put up, the sailor has the guidance of the wind. He can follow where the power of the wind takes him, and harness its force to navigate choppy waters, clear horizons, and uncharted territories. The sailor cannot lead his ship to safety without the sail. In the same way, when we try to take on this world without God, we are like a sailor without a sail. We are at the mercy of the wind, without any direction to follow, without any way to harness it. Following God is like putting up our sail, as it takes the challenge of the winds, currents, and storms and allows us to harness them, gives us a direction to go, and a way to make it to safety again. A similar analogy found in the Bible is in Psalm 119:105, which states "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." This is the same concept as the sailing example I am using. We cannot lead without knowing how to follow. We must follow God in order to have the sail, or to have the lamp. Without following Jesus, we wander, and we cannot lead anyone, let alone ourselves.

John 16:33 reminds us that "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." We still have the winds, currents, and weather, but we also have the sail. We must not fear what happens to us in this world, for we can harness the challenges we face and use the guidance of the Lord to turn all of the tribulations into ways to give glory to God, ways to be examples for others by following His word. In this way, we can appreciate the tools that God provides us, the ways in which He leads us to safety and peace. If we follow God, we will learn the way we need to go.

Knowing how to lead is an important skill. To have a toolbelt full of resources, a love beyond all comprehension, and a Savior for all eternity, and not share it is to be selfish. We are called to lead others by example, to demonstrate all the ways that Jesus changes our lives. Matthew 28:19 states "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," We are meant to spread the word of Jesus, meant to be leaders by example. However, if we do not follow Jesus first, we cannot know how to lead. John 8:12 tells us "Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” By following Him, we have put up our sail. No longer lost at sea, wandering in the darkness, but rather we have the one guiding direction that we need to lead and to live!