June 24, 2012
Faith and Fear
- Mark 4:35-41
- Dr. Teri Thomas
Can you think of a time when you were afraid?
Not worried or troubled but really terrified?
In the course of our lives there are many things that arise that cause us to fear.
There are storms that threaten to overwhelm us.
There are waves that knock us off our feet and drown us.
For each of us the dangers are different, the things we fear - vary from person to person, and the intensity of our fear likewise varies.
I know people who are afraid to drive in city traffic,
others who dread speaking in public,
and still others who are terrified by the thought that they might get sick.
Some people fear being alone - others worry and fret about becoming unemployed,
or having to face an abusive spouse or parent,
still others must fight against the powers of addiction.
There are many dangers out in the world – and we are right to fear these dangers.
Fear is a natural reaction - a God given reaction – to those things that threaten us.
Yet, we don’t talk often about our fears.
We have come to equate fear with weakness.
We encourage our children to get over their fears of the dark.
of being left in the nursery, of the water, of school.
We encourage our friends to ignore their fears of marriage, of children, of divorce, of job changes, or of illness.
We try to deny our own fears, especially those hidden deep within.
Even the Bible tells us fear not.
God told Abram- Fear not.
Moses told the people of Israel- Fear not.
The Lord told Jeremiah and Micah and Malachi- Fear not.
Gabriel told Mary- Fear not
The angel tells the shepherds, “Fear not.”
Jesus said to John in his vision- Fear not.
But we all know that no matter how much we try to ignore or hide or deny our fears, they still remain. And they come out, sometimes in confusing ways.
We argue with a spouse about whether or not to spend money to take a summer vacation.
Except it's not really about the vacation, it's about the fear that there might not be enough to cover the bills when we get back.
Or maybe it's a heated discussion between a teenager and parent
about how late to be out with the car,
and what's behind the conversation again is fear,
the teenager's fear of missing out,
and a parent's fear about all the things that could harm her beloved child.
Or the stubborn refusal of our aging parents to make arrangements for long term care.
They fear the loss of independence and self-sufficiency.
We fear for their safety, their health, and their well being.
If we are honest, we are all afraid of something. So what do we do with our fear?
The most tempting is to forget it, to hide it, to cover it over, to pretend it isn’t there.
Keep it hidden. Keep it hidden from each other.
Keep it hidden from ourselves. Don't even feel it.
Another thing we can do with our fear, of course,
is to use it to win sympathy, or as an excuse for failure.
Like we are the only person that has to deal with such fear.
Another great temptation about fear, I think, is to allow ourselves to be trapped by it.
Fear paralyzes us and keeps us from doing anything at all.
So we all experience fear and we don’t always cope with it well.
We are just like the disciples in the morning’s gospel reading.
They are in the boat with Jesus crossing the lake.
The storm comes up.
Jesus, did you see that wave.
Jesus, how can you sleep in this rain.
Oh, my gosh that lightening was close.
Jesus we are taking on water.
Jesus, can you swim.
Jesus, Philip is getting seasick.
Jesus, we are in trouble.
Jesus, don’t you even care about us? We are going to die!
And finally Jesus wakes up. 40He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?”
For Jesus, it is not about being brave or having courage in the face of storms.
Jesus always makes a connection between fear and faith.
He speaks of faith as trust, not simply as belief, but the kind of trust that moves us to action.
Faith is trust.
Well, when I'm afraid, I have a really, really hard time trusting, and when I cannot trust, it is very difficult, if not impossible to take any confident action. So maybe the issue isn't that the disciples are afraid because of the storm, it's that they allowed their fear to overtake them.
They don't come to Jesus and say, "Teacher, we are afraid and we need your help,"
Instead they are already assuming the worst, "Teacher, don't you care that we're dying."
This isn't a trusting or faithful request; it's a fear-induced accusation.
And for Jesus, it is the fear that must be addressed, not what causes the fear.
Jesus doesn’t say, “There is nothing to be afraid of.”
It was a storm. It was dangerous. The boat was taking on water. The danger was real.
Jesus doesn’t say, “Nothing will hurt you if you have faith.”
People of strong faith get hurt all the time.
Jesus said, Don’t be afraid- trust me. I will get you through it. You are not alone. Ever.
Jesus invites us to be aware of our own fear.
To know that in those moments we are most open to the fears of other people.
We are most open to our own deep place.
We are most aware of our own powerlessness, but also most aware of God's power to pull us through, to be with us in it.
And then, Jesus does finally calm the sea.
He does care for the faithless disciples.
He does look out for them.
We don't have to have perfect faith for God to respond;
indeed, we can even be paralyzed by fear,
assume the worst about God,
and still receive God's mercy and grace,
and then, perhaps, an invitation to greater faith!
The disciples are changed, transformed by this miracle.
The anxiety which had paralyzed them turned to a holy awe.
They experienced the presence and power of God in their midst.
They thought they knew Jesus when they started across the lake with him.
But when they reach the other side, they know him in a different way.
I think that's the invitation for us as well:
to bring our fears, anxieties, and concerns to God as best we can
and watch as they are transformed
and we are amazed once again at this God who never, ever ceases to surprise us.
The story reminds us that God is bigger than we thought.
There will be times when life is harder than we bargained for,
but God will not abandon us.
Not to the storms of life,
or even to the gale-force winds of our fears.
Rather, God will come, calming the fear-ridden heart,
telling us again that we are God's own beloved children,
and calling us to greater faith.
Amen.