Twice, earlier in Mark’s Gospel, Jesus calms the fears of others. The first time was also on the sea. A great storm came up and Jesus was asleep in the back of the boat. The disciples woke him. He calmed the storm and then said: “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?”
In today’s Gospel, once again the disciples are terrified. Jesus responds: “It is I, do not be afraid.”
The darkness, the water, the wind – these represent the dark forces that can threaten us: crime, terrorism, chemical weapons, nuclear war, disease, or . . . a relationship that seems about to break, serious financial problems, a job that is shaky.
God is not an absentee God. “The Word was made flesh and made his dwelling among us.”
Keep celebrating Christmas, and hear the Lord say to you, “It is I. Do not be afraid.”
- Little Blue Book, January 7