Not Alone on the Journey

I preached this sermon on Sunday, 5th October, at the 8:30 Holy Communion. I thought it would be nice to share this with you.

In 1914, Ernest Shackleton and two colleagues reached Stromness, a whaling station on the

north coast of South Georgia. They had sailed 650 nautical miles from Elephant Island after

their ship, Endurance, became trapped in the ice. The ship’s captain, Frank Worsley, was responsible for navigation and performed an extraordinary feat. They carried enough

supplies for only four weeks. If they failed to reach South Georgia, they knew they were

doomed.

They first sighted the cliffs of South Georgia on the 8th of May, but strong winds forced them to

land on the wrong side of the island. Shackleton left three sailors with the small boat, the James

Caird, which had become waterlogged. Then, with two companions, he set off to cross the island’s mountainous interior—a journey that few had attempted before or since. None of the

three were experienced climbers. Yet, armed with only a rope and an axe, they trekked for 36

hours in life-threatening conditions, determined to reach help for the rest of their crew: three

men stranded on the south side of the island and the remainder still on Elephant Island. By

reaching Stromness, Shackleton and his companions were able to save every member of the ill-fated Transantarctic Expedition.

They said little at the time, but weeks later all three men spoke of an uncanny experience during

their crossing — the overwhelming sense that there were four, not three, travellers on their journey. The “fourth” had the silent presence of a real person, walking beside them as far as the

whaling station but no further. Shackleton was deeply affected by this experience, though he

would rarely speak of it again, calling it something “which can never be spoken of.”

On Monday, 29 September, the Church celebrated three prominent angels: Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael—the beloved messengers of God.

• Michael, whose name means “Who is like God?”, is best known for his victory over the dragon in the Book of Revelation and is regarded as the protector of Christians from evil.

  
  

• Gabriel, “the strength of God”, appears in St Luke’s Gospel to announce to Mary the birth of Christ.

  
  

• Raphael, “the healing of God”, restores sight to Tobit’s eyes in the Old Testament.

G. K. Chesterton once remarked, “Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.” Devils and demons, by contrast, fell through the heaviness of pride, greed, and anger.

Perhaps the most important task of the guardian angel is to lead us to the passion of Christ and his cross – for it is only through the cross that we find our way to heaven.

So, what does a guardian angel do? Perhaps it is simplest to say that angels awaken our conscience, helping us to recognise and follow the will of God. They encourage gratitude, inspire mercy, and open our eyes to God’s glory. Perhaps, too, they work through imagination and memory, drawing us nearer to the divine presence.

John Scott