Today is Sea Sunday and there is a lot of information about this online, much of which involves shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The voices and experiences of the seafarers involved have not had as much publicity as those of the politicians, so this reflection is from the authentic accounts of the Sailors’ Society which, with other charities, endeavours to give support to those caught up in these awful situations.
“Don’t you care if we drown?” Jesus calms the storm in Mark 4:35-41.
Those words, cried out by frightened disciples nearly two thousand years ago, still echo across the waters of our world today. The Gospel story begins with Jesus and his disciples crossing the Sea of Galilee. Several of the disciples were experienced fishermen. They knew boats. They knew weather. They knew the sea. Yet when a violent storm arose, even these seasoned sailors were terrified. The waves crashed over the boat. The wind howled. Their vessel filled with water. Death seemed close at hand. And where was Jesus? He was asleep.
The disciples woke Him with desperation in their voices: “Don’t you care if we drown?”
In answer, Jesus stood, rebuked the wind and the waves, saying simply, “Peace! Be still!” Immediately, the storm ceased and there was a great calm. Then Jesus asked them, “Why are you so afraid?” This miracle is not only about Jesus’ power over nature. It is also about His presence in the midst of fear. The disciples learned that even when the storm raged, they were not alone. Christ was with them in the storm. Today, many seafarers need that same reassurance and need to know they’re not alone in the storm.
Most of us rarely think about the people who bring us the goods we rely on every day. Yet around 90% of world trade travels by sea. The food on our shelves, the fuel that heats our homes, the products we use every day—all depend upon seafarers. These men and women spend months away from their families. They miss birthdays, anniversaries, Christmases, and the ordinary moments of life that most of us take for granted. They survived the isolation of Covid, they survive piracy attacks, abandonment and false imprisonment. But since February, many seafarers have faced extraordinary challenges in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
Around 20,000 seafarers have been affected directly by the crisis, and the ripple effects spread out across the globe. Seafarers in other parts of the world found themselves unable to start new contracts with huge financial implications for their families. Others already onboard vessels found their time at sea extended way beyond what they had expected. Meanwhile, crews on vessels behind the Straits of Hormuz found themselves trapped, stranded, or working under the constant threat of attack. What was worse was that as the days became weeks, and weeks months, the ongoing conflict was peppered with weekly announcements of potential freedom. This brought a glimmer of hope that was just as regularly dashed.
Those crews need to know they weren’t alone in the storm. Imagine being hundreds of miles from home. Imagine hearing reports of missiles, drones, attacks on ships, and uncertainty about whether you will get home safely. Imagine trying to reassure your family while you yourself are frightened. For many of those seafarers, this is not imagination. It was reality.
“Your brain starts to shut off when you see bombings and missiles every day,” one seafarer explained. “I speak to my family every day, but I don’t tell them how bad the situation is. There is nothing they can do.” Others are now rationing drinking water, cut off from help and sending desperate messages. Seafarer Dalip Singh was just 25 and had been at sea only two years when his life was cut short on the first night of the conflict in the Gulf. He was on watch in the engine room when a missile struck his ship. Dalip and his Captain perished when the ship burst into flames. His body has never been recovered. The shock of his loss led to the death of his father just weeks later.
Sailors’ Society’s trained Crisis Response Network is now supporting his mother and the rest of his family, who are utterly devastated by this tragedy.
More recently a Captain suffered a heart attack while keeping a watch out for missiles and drones. But in a war zone no medical team can reach you. No one can save you. His crew could do nothing but watch their Captain die at sea. Crew on another ship also watched helplessly as their fellow seafarer suffered devastating burns when a missile was intercepted above and burning debris fell onto the deck. These are not isolated stories of suffering. “The situation is getting more dire every day,” one Captain told us.
After finally receiving permission to cross the Strait, his crew believed they were at last going to safety. Then armed men in speedboats surrounded their vessel and opened fire. A bullet smashed through the bridge window. “We all ducked down,” said the Chief Engineer. “Glass shattered across the bridge and we were all really shaken up.”
Like the disciples in Mark’s Gospel, those sailors face storms beyond their control. Like the disciples, they know fear. Like the disciples, they wonder what tomorrow may bring.
And just as Jesus cared for those frightened sailors in the storm on Lake Galilee, so Sailors’ Society and other charities care for the seafarers of today. Often, God’s answer to a cry for help comes through the hands of His people. When Jesus fed the five thousand, He used the disciples to distribute the bread. When the early Church cared for those in need, God worked through the generosity of believers. Today, when seafarers need support, God calls His Church to respond.
We may never stand on the bridge of a tanker in the Gulf. We may never sail through the Strait of Hormuz. We may never meet the seafarers in need of help. But, as Jesus made sure the disciples weren’t alone in the storm, today we have an opportunity to make sure today’s seafarers know they aren’t alone. For further information, or to donate to their work, please research Sea Sunday 2026 and please pray the prayer for seafarers caught up in the conflict in the Gulf:
Lord, We lift before You all seafarers trapped by the conflict in the Gulf, far from home and surrounded by uncertainty. Be their refuge in fear, their strength in weakness, and their hope in times of despair. Watch over those who stand vigil on ships and in ports, separated from their loved ones. Grant them safety from harm, wisdom in difficult decisions, and courage to face each day. Calm troubled waters, soften hardened hearts, and open pathways toward peace and freedom. Comfort their families who wait anxiously for news. Sustain them with patience, faith, and the assurance of Your loving presence. Amen.
With my prayers; pob bendith,
Christine, Priest Guardian.