It seems every good adventure story on the high seas involves a shipwreck. Paul has gotten his wish and is on the way to Rome for an audience with Caesar. The problem is the ship they are on is being lead by not so bright people. Despite all the warnings, and years of history, they decide to set sail in the dead of winter. This ends pretty tragically.
The most interesting thing in the midst of the crash is Paul's demand that everyone sit down and eat. Hard at work for 14 days keeping the ship going, the men had not eaten. So Paul prepares a meal and has them sit and eat. Can you imagine what the crew was thinking. Here they were facing death, and this guy wants to eat something. Paul assures them they are not going to die and they will need strength, so eat up.
As the chapter ends the ship is run aground and falling apart. The order to abandon ship is given and everyone makes to shore. It seems as though there will be a happy ending to the story. Everyone lives and they are safely on the island. As far as shipwrecks go, I am not sure this would cut it in our modern cinema, it seems rather anti-climatic. The boat falls apart, and everyone lives. No drama, no values clarification of who lives and who dies.
Honestly for compared to the rest of the book of Acts it is pretty tame. Yet the hand of God brings Paul and the crew to safety. Through the storm, even one poor choices put them in, God sees them through to continue the plan and work set before them. I wonder if there is something for us to learn?
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