This week I am exploring the theme of fear and God transforming our fear using the story of Jesus stilling the storm (Mark 4:35-41). The opposite of fear is peace and calm, right? Not according to  Jesus. Twice in the gospel of Mark Jesus contrasts fear with Faith. In 4:40 he said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” And then again in 5:36 he says “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

It would have been much easier for us to take these words to heart if we weren’t facing a frightening virus today. Most of us are afraid, many are being cautious and some even irrational. But that was the case with the disciples too. When the boat was sinking, they were terrified. Most of them were fishermen but instead of leaning on each other and their skills for support they all freaked out and ran to Jesus, the one guy who knew more about carpentering than sailing! But then, he teaches them a lesson, not about facing the waves but about facing their fear… Faith was Jesus’s solution.

The words of Jesus are not telling us that faith is automatically going to cast off all fear, but that fear should not overcome us as though we had no faith. If we keep looking outwards at the waves coming our way, we will never find peace. Jesus invited his disciples to trust him even in the middle of the storm and he invites us today to take our eyes off of the word and look inward. To look inward at our own selves and rekindle our trust in God who can transform our fears. And to look inward towards our community and lean on each other and on the faith we find in community for support.

Today let us be grateful for faith and those who walk with us in faith.

Questions for reflection: How have you embodied faith in the middle of a storm? What has helped you get through crises in the past? Where did you see God in all that?