BE STILL
19 SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

While I was in India, last year, I went to see a circus with my Mom। Walking on the rope was an important item of the circus॥ This person walked on a rope without any support. The rope was placed about 20 feet high from the ground and 30 feet long. He was about to fall at different but he managed to keep the balance. After the program, I had a chance to talk to him. “How could you walk on the rope?” I asked him. “It is the power of the focus. All the time my whole body and mind was focused on one thing….As long as I could hold my attention intact, I could do that”, he replied.

In the Gospel reading this morning we have the story of Peter walking on the water. Walking on the water is something impossible. He was able to do that because his eyes were fixed on Jesus, all the time. As soon as he shifted his attention (distracted)from Jesus, he began to sink.
Walking on the water is an expression used in the Scripture to talk about people who are going through struggles। We all have struggles and anxieties. I saw a man in the chapel yesterday. He looked sad. He lost his job. A woman has a different story to tell. “My mom fell and broke her shoulder. I cannot join my new job that I got after a long break”, she said.

When we go through struggles and anxieties, we are in panic। We focus more and more on our crises. The more we focus on the problems, the more they appear to be terrible. It takes our focus from God. This was what happened to Peter. He was terrified by the storm. He looked around for help forgetting about Jesus. He started sinking.

The good news is that God is always there for our rescue। Jesus came to the help of Peter and said,” Peter do not be afraid….Have faith”. Then Jesus stretched his hand and lifted him up. God is there in our struggles and pain. He is whispering to us,” Do not be afraid”. He is there with his helping hands.

The problem is that often we do not hear his voice, because the noise of our problem is too high that they eclipse the voice of God. Elijah found God when the storm, earthquake and fire finally calm down. We need to calm down and place ourselves in the presence of the Lord. We need to go to the mountain of the Lord in prayer. We will hear the comforting message God: Do not be afraid. We will also see the helping hands of God.