Readings
After yesterday's thoughts about how I look at the powerful presence of self-giving, today today we might look at a consequence of a hardened heart. When true self-giving is absent in my life, I do open myself, my heart and mind, to the pains brought on by fear. When love is a stranger in my heart, fears easily take up residence. The story Mark presents is explained by the final sentence of this selection. Fear built up in the hearts of the sea-tossed disciples. They had just experienced Jesus' love for the folks who wanted to learn about God. They were also physically hungry. Jesus knew that and fed them. Yet, once in a boat and fighting a storm, his disciples seemed to forget the lesson of that feed of more than 5000 men with minimal supplies. Apparently Jesus' self-giving did not sink in. The power of the sea-storm, however, did open the disciples' heart to great fear. Where was their trust in Jesus, the friend, their teacher?
When fear takes over in my heart, shouldn't I consider if I am forgetting the self-giving of Jesus? Do I trust only when all is going well?
