Their boat was, “…battered by the waves, far from the land and the wind was against them.” This distress lasted all night. Our present battering has lasted more than four months. We are far from getting a handle on things. We are battered by the waves of breaking news and the stiff winds of grief and loss are against us. More than that, racism and COVID-19 aren’t the only pandemics swirling these days. A third pandemic is fear. Fear in general and fear in specific. Fear does its best work when the battering depletes us. Peter’s fear sank him that long-ago morning. He shifted his focus from the strength of Jesus to the strength of the wind and water. The tricky thing about fear is that it can be so subtle, so logical and prudent sounding sometimes. The next time you’re being swallowed up by fear, battered and world-weary, do this, imagine Jesus walking toward you stepping over all those things that scare you. See him reach his hand out for you. And, listen to him say to you, “Take heart, don’t be afraid.” Remember, “God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
For People with Bishop Rob Wright
The new podcast expands on Bishop’s For Faith devotional, drawing inspiration from the life of Jesus to answer 21st-century questions.
