Sea Sunday 2026 – “Showing Unusual Kindness in Turbulent Times.”

The National Sea & Air Farers Sunday service was held on Sunday, 12^th July 2026, at St. Peter’s Church, Fort, with a large congregation in attendance, particularly from the maritime and shipping industry.

The service was presided over by the Port Chaplain, Venerable Perry Brohier, who also delivered the sermon. He was assisted by Rev. Jayanath Pandithararatne, Vicar of St. Peter’s Church and Rev. Sureshkumar, Lecturer at the Theological College of Lanka, Pililathalawa .

Harmony and Reflection

The service was beautifully enriched by the Music Ministry Choir, directed by Ishan de Lanerolle and accompanied by Neranjan de Silva. The Sri Lanka Navy Band, along with their Bagpipers and Buglers, added a stirring ceremonial touch. A very representative contingent of cadets from the CINEC Maritime Campus, comprising male and female, also participated in the service, adding youthful energy to the occasion, while reminding us of the changes and transition the industry is going through as it navigates its way through.

The Diplomatic community was represented, underscoring the national significance of Sea Sunday.

Scripture readings were delivered by representatives from the St. Peter’s Church Congregation, Young Ship, South Asia Gateway Terminal, and the Executive Committee of the Mission in Colombo, symbolising the unity of the church, commercial shipping, and port authorities.

In his sermon, the Chaplain Venerable Brohier reminded the gathering that we meet in turbulent times, when wars, geopolitical tensions, piracy, economic pressures, and climate change have made many seas dangerous. Seafarers, who sustain global trade by transporting the goods we depend on every day, increasingly find themselves caught in conflicts they did not create. While modern technology tracks every shipment with precision, we too often overlook the people who make global commerce possible.

Today’s readings remind us that God never forgets those whom the world overlooks. The prophet Micah calls us to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. In Acts of the Apostles, we are reminded that the shipwrecked Paul and his companions are welcomed with extraordinary kindness by the people of Malta, while Jesus, in the Gospel, teaches us to treat others as we would wish to be treated.

Many seafarers today experience isolation, danger, and uncertainty. They spend months away from their families, face threats from conflict, piracy, and abandonment, and often arrive in port concerned more about their safety than their comfort. Their dignity must never be measured by productivity or profit, but recognised as a gift from God.

The Gospel challenges us to replace indifference with compassion. If we were far from home, facing danger simply for doing our work, we would hope for kindness, respect, hospitality, and prayer. Yet too often, the welfare of cargo receives more attention than the welfare of the ones who are responsible for transporting the cargo to its destination.

Like the people of Malta, we are called to offer “unusual kindness.” While we cannot end every conflict or remove every danger, we can pray for seafarers, support ship visitors, advocate for fair treatment and decent working conditions, and ensure that every seafarer who comes ashore knows they are welcomed, valued, and remembered.

Sea Sunday is not simply about recognising a profession; it is about honouring people made in God’s image whose sacrifices sustain our daily lives.

God calls us to see those others ignore, to value people above profit, and to build communities of welcome where the weary find rest and the forgotten know they are remembered.