“PEACE IN THE STORM” Matthew 8:23-27

As the heat of Summer becomes more and more unbearable, I was reminiscing about my younger years in Haiti. Usually, at the end of the school year, I would leave Port-au-Prince to go spend the Summer vacations with my grandmother and enjoy the fun life of the country. I will usually travel by ship, sail ships. They usually have four or five sails which are moved, raised, or lowered when needed, depending on the force and the direction of the wind. The trip may take a couple of days when the wind is favorable. It may take longer if there is no wind or if the wind is not blowing in our direction.

On some occasions, we may run into severe weather and the joy of being on the wide-open sea, specially at night, becomes a scary proposition. It is in these moments that everybody has to put their trust in the ability of the captain to deal with the elements and get us safely into port. The reading of the scripture above reminds me of these scary times at sea when my life and that of all the other passengers aboard the ship were literally in the hands of the ship’s captain and his crew.

At times in our lives, it seems that we are being tossed around by the waves, being pushed in the wrong direction by the violently turbulent winds of change, drenched by the torrential rains of uncertainty and hardship in our daily lives. Often enough, fear causes us to doubt God’s plan, and like the disciples even to question whether God cares about us or not.
It is in those times when we should come to realize that if I and the other passengers could trust the ship’s captain, how much more we should trust the Creator of the Universe. Jesus woke up and asked the disciples “you of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he rebuked the wind and the waves, and it was completely calm. The question is: does having faith mean that we will never be afraid?

Jesus does not promise we will never face fearful circumstances. Instead, he teaches that God is greater than whatever we are facing, and he is in control. Faith means trusting that we never face dangers alone. Knowing that God is present keeps fear from paralyzing us, and gives us peace. Rather than fear, we want prayer to be our first response to trials. Fear can distract us from God’s promise to be with us through every storm.

In the book of John, in the section properly called “The farewell discourse,” as he was preparing the disciples for his departure, Jesus told them in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Jesus asked the disciples “Why are you afraid?’ Even in the face of severe storms, we can trust Jesus to carry us to the destination he has for us. When we surrender ourselves to Jesus, our faith can overcome our fears. We can have peace.

Let us pray. Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent God, we bless your Holy Name. We give you thanks O God, for all that you have done, and all that you are doing in our lives, even now. We give you thanks O God for your faithfulness, your grace and your mercy. Help us O God never to forget that as you have promised, that you will never leave us or forsake us. Help us to remember that you are present with us during life’s storms. Give us the faith that will overcome our fears, and to trust that you will carry us through and give us peace. Your peace, and not the peace of the world, let it be ours now and forever more. In the matchless name of Jesus the Christ, we pray. Amen and Amen.

Written by Rev. Franck Aguilh