Jesus issues an Executive Order

From across the Atlantic, Executive Orders, are currently coming thick and fast out of the White House.

Last night on the BBC an expert on the US constitution explained what an Executive Order actually is: a direct command from the President to the rest of the government.

Here in Bermondsey this morning we were thinking, with the aid of Mark's Gospel, about the executive order that Jesus gave to the wind ('Be quiet') and to the waves ('Be still!') at the time of a great storm.

In the US, said the constitutional expert, executive orders often come to nothing, either because the idea is impractical, or because Congress or the Constitution forbids it.

In Mark 4 it was very different.

Jesus gave the command and, says Mark, 'the wind died down and there was a great calm.'

So great was the transformation, that the disciples exclaimed in wonder (and here I paraphrase): 'Who is this man? He gives executive orders to the wind and the waves and they obey him!'