In Durban, Chris reflects on the last few days of his visits to ships. He explains about the sudden change in men working at sea.

After a decade of working from ship to ship, crew to crew, you understand the finer nuances of body language. The first moments on board exposes the subtle body language of the person signing you in. You know immediately whether the person is a friend or fiend. It predicts the situation that is about to unfold...    

The norm is open doors, friendly faces and eager conversation. Now, within our new reality, lock and key, as well as suspicion are the new normal. From behind the safety of a sterile mask, the expression is cynical and the eyes try to take in every detail they can find about you - an insecure assessment.

The newfound suspicion is symptomatic of a neglected truth - that there is an undeniable bond between us all. That bond is between me, you, they, us... How I am, or my way of being, affects all that come into contact with me. My way is highly contagious.   

Chris visits a container ship with an Indian and Philippine crew. For Chris the new reality of masks and suspicion is also strange. Being aware of contagion is certain. The men explain, tensely, that the companies do not allow any of them, in spite of expired contracts, to go home. There is also an embargo on the appointment of any new members of a crew. How long the status quo is about to be maintained, is not known. No graph, method, or analysis can predict this and the cleverest among us cannot guess.  

Against this background is the deep awareness of the new, but ancient truth - that we are all bonded to each other. We are contagious. We touch, influence and guide each of those around us. In our daily being, what we do and how we act, should be subject to an undeniable responsibility for our contagiousness. This responsibility brings the ‘them’ about whom we so often have something to say, within our reach and into our midst.    

If Chris listens with care and compassion to each of the men as they tell their stories; if he gives Bibles in their own languages to the eager receiving hands; and if he provides the spiritual literature – then he knows, he is deeply aware of the fact, that the Message he carries with him, is highly contagious... and he knows that the Message, "Be still and know, I am the Lord" can touch, influence and guide each of us and every man working at sea.  

When he leaves, he re-tunes his awareness to read body language. He walks with the sound knowledge that those men on board the ship experienced something of the contagious Message:

Be still and know, I am the Lord. 

Be still and know, I Am.

Be still and know. 

Be still.

Be.