"Then he asked them, 'Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?'" – Mark 4:40
I remember one time, when I was bishop in Pensacola-Tallahassee, some friends invited me to go sailing with them. It started out as a beautiful day, but a couple of hours later a large area of thunderstorms appeared in the distance. It became clear that we were in the path of an incoming storm as the skies got darker and the wind began to pick up. The next thing we knew, we were in the middle of strong storm and rough seas. I remember feeling the sense that we were helpless and just had to ride out the storm.
Now, imagine being in a wooden boat in that same storm 2000 years ago. One had to be brave to venture off of land back then. Now to be caught in a storm as the disciples were, as we read in the Gospel from Mark, could be dangerous and even catastrophic. Yet, here were the twelve in a boat in the middle of the night with Jesus. They couldn't see where they were going and had no control of the boat. They were at the mercy of the seas and felt like they were perishing. The waves are crashing, the boat is nearly capsizing, and yet Jesus is sleeping. (Even our Lord needs His rest!) His friends wake Him, and immediately Jesus commands the seas to calm. And they do! His friends must have been astonished. Then, He says to the disciples, "why are you terrified, do you not yet have faith?"
All of us go through storms in our lives. Not just the natural ones, but situations that cause us great concern, anxiety and doubt. We need to remember that if we turn our trust, our faith, our troubles, our storms to the Lord, then what is there to fear? Jesus asks the same to you as He did to the disciples, "Why are you terrified? Do you not have faith?" On my sailing trip, we were fortunate to have an experienced captain at the helm who guided us through the storm to safety. With Jesus in control of your life, you WILL have the courage to face life's storms with faith and trust that He is in control.
Bishop Gregory Parkes
Did you know...
Most Reverend Gregory L. Parkes is the fifth Bishop of St. Petersburg. Prior to his appointment to the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Bishop Parkes served as the fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee from 2012-2016. He was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Orlando on June 26, 1999. Before answering the call to the priesthood, Bishop Parkes worked for several years in Tampa's banking industry.
