A QUESTION OF FAITH
With Rev. Simon J. Wearn Rector, Holy Trinity Church
STRESSED out? BEING stressed or overwhelmed is a common feature of modern life. We live in a global village – where the problems from every part of the world can come to our attention through a notification bell or newspaper headline.
Stress builds when there’s more to do than there is time or energy available, or when the problems are completely beyond ability to solve.
So whether it is Coronavirus, post-Brexit trade deals, workload or health concerns, we can feel overwhelmed and stressed.
Jesus’ disciples shared the same struggle. Sure, they wouldn’t have had news updates on their phones, but the struggle to navigate life, the daily need for food and shelter, and facing the storms of life were very real.
The Gospel of Mark recounts the time that Jesus and his followers were crossing the Sea of Galilee in a fishing boat – a storm blew up, with waves crashing over the boat, and they began taking on water. Even though some of the disciples were seasoned fishermen and familiar with being on the water, they feared for their lives.
Jesus, by contrast, was sleeping in the back of the boat – not indifferent but calm. The disciples had other ideas, and woke Jesus saying, “Don’t you care if we drown?” They were desperate, and frustrated with Jesus. I wonder if that’s how you feel towards God sometimes? If you feel overwhelmed – do you cry out to God?
The disciples found that Jesus does care, and more than that – he has power over the elements. So he got up and spoke to the wind and waves as if talking to a barking dog, “Quiet! Be still!” – and amazingly the wind died down and the sea became calm.
The problem for the disciples was that they were looking to the waves and not to Jesus. That’s a challenge to us – in the midst of our storms and struggles will we turn our eyes from the stress and look to God for help?
When the disciples did turn to Jesus and experienced his powerful rescue, they faced a new question, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” And, that’s a question for us too!
So what about the concerns and worries of our lives? It’s not that Jesus promises to take them all away, but we can turn to Him as they waves crash over our boat and cry for help. See then what he will do, and know the peace that comes from casting our cares on Him.