THERE was more fear yesterday over
the imminent cyclone lashing Mumbai,
then the coronavirus! Locals, spent all their time, finding out how close the cyclone was while barricading their windows, charging their phones and white faced phoning those who lived outside the city, telling them how afraid they were!
A couple of years ago after another such storm, while driving down a coastal road, my wife and I saw the strangest of sights; just a couple of hundred feet away from us, loomed a ship, huge and gigantic. Yet powerless on rocks it had drifted onto. I asked around and was told the ship had lost its anchor, and so had been tossed about by the rough, tumultuous waves and cruel wind and finally cast ashore.
All because of an anchor! Once I’d sat on the banks of the mighty Niagara Falls. The Niagara River, I was told has a couple of interesting signs upstream of the falls. There is one by the side of the river visible to daredevil boaters that reads: “Do you have an anchor?” If you don’t have one don’t venture into the waters! I have found that a solid anchor is indispensable to one who intends to live life fully. To have an anchor is to be well centred and well grounded. It is to have a vital spiritual base.
Is this true of us? We drift from one spiritual leader to another, seeking blessing and guidance and find we are still adrift. The godman whom we follow has his weaknesses, the religion we move into doesn’t satisfy, and we drift to the next pilgrimage centre and new devotional experience. The next sign that the boatman sees on the Niagara is: “Do you know how to use an anchor?” There’s no point having faith or a so called belief in the Almighty if you don’t know how to use it or approach Him!
We all come to that stage in our lives when we find ourselves up against a critical loss, an irreversible set back or a course of action that cannot be changed. There is no way back and no way around. We have to go through. Have you ever been through the feeling you are not in control? Did you go through that yesterday with the cyclone, are you going through that with the Covid-19 fear? That circumstances beyond you are taking over your life? Well this is the time to use your anchor. To get your faith working and see yourself in charge once again!
Even a small ship can venture into deep waters and weather major storms if it has an anchor. Of course it will be tossed about a bit but will not capsize or run aground, will not wreck or overturn if you, the sailor aboard, know how to weigh anchor. Get an Anchor, learn how to use Him and get anchored. After that you will be like one of those who looked out of their Mumbai windows yesterday, a little afraid, but knowing they had an Anchor for all the storms of life..!
