It is never easy to speak about death. Even when it is mentioned lightly, the atmosphere often becomes tense and may be followed by some light knocking on the wood. What lies behind these reactions is fear, that even a quiet resort to little superstitions that have no real power but only reveal the anxiety of the heart.
We see this fear in the Gospel today. The apostles were on a boat with a sleeping Jesus, who moments before had bid them to join him to “cross to the other side.” A windstorm suddenly came up, and waves were breaking over the boat. They may be experienced fishermen, yet this storm was so violent that all their skills and experience could no longer give them security. They could not control the wind and water that kept on rising and swamping the boat. I can only imagine them having a flashback of their entire lives, as they cried out to Jesus, “Do you not care that we are perishing?”
Threats
Fear arises when we perceive that an evil is coming to harm what we love, and we find ourselves unable to fight back that harm. That is why we naturally fear death since we naturally love our life. This makes us do our best to preserve and protect it. Fear can also extend to other things we hold dear, especially if we perceive them slipping beyond our grasp. It may happen if we try “crossing to the other side” and we begin with plans, hopes, and ideals, yet along the way, storms arise which threaten to destroy everything we have built or grown comfortable with. Then we realize that our strength is limited and that the security we once relied upon can be taken away. Our boats is being violently rocked by the waves.
Something Greater
God allows us to feel the sting of fear to teach us that it is not conquered by control, but by learning to love something greater than the life we are afraid to lose. He also purifies our faith and strengthens our love, showing us that God is our refuge and our strength (Ps. 46:1). God is with us, and there is nothing to fear. He knows what He is doing, and whatever He does is for our good. God may seem to have abandoned us, but God is still God. He will never harm us, but wants us to love Him no matter what. And as our love for God grows, fear begins to lose its power, because our hearts are anchored in a firmer and surer foundation; in a greater good which nothing can take away.
As the Apostles moved from fear to trust, abandoning themselves to the Lord “whom the sea and ocean obey”, may we also find the same grace, remembering that everything in this world is rocky and passes away, while the promise of eternal life remains, and heaven stands before us as our true homeland.
