"Stand by Me" | By Rev. Jack Miller
 
There is a story told about a sailboat caught in heavy seas. A rogue wave flipped the boat over. The heavy keel righted the boat, but there was heavy damage. An SOS was sent, and a Coast Guard cutter was dispatched to the struggling ship's aid, but the seas were too rough to rescue its crew. So, the cutter placed itself as close as it could to the sailboat’s side, protecting it from the brunt of the 10-foot waves. Finally, they made it through the storm and to the safety of a nearby port. Our relationship with the Holy Spirit is much the same. The Spirit takes the brunt of our troubles. The Spirit not only lives within us but also stands beside us, protects us from life’s difficulties, and guides us to a safe harbor.
 
In our gospel reading this week, Jesus' words bring comfort and reassurance to his troubled disciples. He uses a Greek word meaning "to remain" or "to stay"; it appears more than 40 times in John's Gospel. Jesus says he will remain with his disciples through the presence of the Holy Spirit, who will stand beside them, bring comfort and protection, while guiding them through the storms of life’s journey.
 
The most common phrase used to describe the Holy Spirit in scripture is the Latin word Paraclete, which translates as advocate or comforter. But many ancient Greek texts use a different phrase that is perhaps more descriptive of our association with the Spirit, one closer to what Jesus had in mind. It is the word Parakletos, which means called to one’s side as a helper, defender, advocate, and comforter.
 
A group of people translating the New Testament into the common language of equatorial Africa was having difficulty finding a word to adequately describe the Holy Spirit. Then they noticed porters walking in a line along a path, each carrying a heavy burden, all but one person. That one person was carrying nothing. When they asked why, they learned that the man who carried nothing was expected to walk beside and help anyone who became too exhausted to carry their own burden. When a porter collapses from exhaustion, the man would kneel beside them, comfort and give them water, help them to their feet, and then shoulder their load. He would walk beside them until refreshed; they could carry the load once again on their own. In their language, he was called "The one who falls down beside us." That gave the translators the word they were looking for to describe the Holy Spirit, the Parakletos, "The one who falls down beside us."
 
This is the Spirit Jesus promised to his disciples, the advocate and helper, the comforter. One who is called to our side, the one who falls down beside us when life’s struggle overwhelms us, the one who carries our burdens for us when our load becomes too heavy. The Spirit does not leave us behind but walks with us, sheltering and protecting us until our strength and resolve return, and we are able to resume our life-journey. This is the promise of Jesus, to remain with us through the presence of the Holy Spirit, the Parakletos.
 
Perhaps the Charles Albert Tindley hymn says it best. “When the storms of life are raging,” we call Jesus through the Spirit to our side and plead, “Stand by Me.”  In times of “tribulation,” when our “strength begins to fail,” when we are faced with our “faults and failures,” when “we do the best we can” and it’s not enough, we call Jesus through the Spirit to our side and plead, “Stand by Me.”
 
Jesus waits patiently for us to fall back on his promise; our SOS send out in moments of distress. Jesus will be with us always through the presence of the Holy Spirit, bringing healing, relief, and comfort. Jesus is but three words away when we need him: “Stand by Me.”
 
Now may the Spirit who dwells within us and stands beside us fill us with courage, comfort, and discernment. May we walk through life’s storms with a firm confidence in the Father’s presence, the Son’s faithfulness, and the Spirit’s steady guidance. And the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be with us and remain with us always. Amen.