Article June 1, 2020 Issue

Calming the waves of fear

Susan Tish

Originally published in The Christian Science Monitor’s Christian Science Perspective column March 30, 2020.

The waves on the English Channel were buffeting the ferryboat that my family was in to cross over to France. As the boat plunged up and down violently, nearly everyone on board seemed afraid. Even the staff looked worried, explaining to us that they had never seen such tumultuous water during a channel crossing. Soon the fear was heightened by an acute feeling of seasickness.

Normally I am a praying person, but as the panic heightened I was having trouble just keeping calm. Initially, I was simply focusing on myself and willing myself not to be ill. Then I lifted my head and glanced around at my family. While most of us were hunched over and looking a little green, my sister-in-law had the most peaceful look on her face, as if she was just enjoying the ride. I marveled at her calm, but it also made me aware that this ride could definitely go a different way.

I thought of a Bible story related in the Gospel of Mark (see 4:36–41). As the story goes, Jesus and his disciples were in a ship when a great wind began whipping up the waves, filling their boat with water. His disciples were afraid. There seemed to be no other possibility than that the boat would sink. However, when they turned to Jesus, they found him sleeping peacefully, apparently unconcerned. 

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