For Those in Peril on the Sea
Maritime hymns hold a special fascination for me.
For Those in Peril on the Sea is the first title that comes to mind... but there is another hymn I remember from my paternal grandfather's funeral service in Prince Edward Island many years ago, which continues to resonate with me even more forcefully (in fact, so much so that I hope it will be part of my own funeral service some day... in the far distant future, of course!)
It is Well With My Soul was written by Horatio Spafford in the 1870s after a series of personal tragedies, including financial disaster related to the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and the deaths of his five children (one son succumbed to scarlet fever and four daughters drowned in a shipwreck.) The fact that he was able to pen lyrics that still evoke such hope and peace despite the storms that he faced is truly inspirational to me, and a reminder that my own storms are much smaller and more inconsequential.
“When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.”
Will Your Anchor Hold is another favourite, written in 1882 by Priscilla Jane Owens. The rollicking tune reinforces the words, which remind us not to give up hope, but instead to use whatever gifts we have been given to remain steadfast.
“Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift and the cables strain,
Will your anchor drift, or firm remain?
We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love.”
The perils of the sea are not only for sailors. My father once told me a story about duck-hunting along the shores of Prince Edward Island many years ago with a few of my uncles and cousins. I think the expedition began well, with everyone in high spirits; but as time wore on, the crashing tide moved in and began to cut them off from the path they had originally travelled. As he struggled through the crashing waves along a slippery cliffside, holding his shotgun above his head, he began to wonder if he would even be able to make it home again; in the end, he decided that the results of the expedition just weren't worth the risks...and never went duck-hunting again.
The Coffin family connection with the perils of the sea goes even further back in time, to my Coffin ancestors who made the arduous journey by sea to the New World in the 1600s and were amongst the first immigrants to settle on Nantucket Island. Many of our ancestors became whalers; and some were tragically entangled in the saga of the whaling ship Essex in 1820, documented in the recent movie In the Heart of the Sea (based on the book of the same title by Nathaniel Philbrick, Nantucket historian.) For those who don't know, this is the harrowing narrative—filled with excitement, danger and loss—that inspired Herman Melville to pen his famous whaling tale, Moby Dick.
As I reflect on the words of those old-time maritime hymns, I am reminded that when we find ourselves a long way out from shore, struggling with the dark storms and forces of nature beyond our control, it is important to remember that we carry our safe harbours with us at all times: all the blessings in our lives that give us the strength and the hope to hold fast, to fight through the storm and come back home safe again.