In Mark 4:36-41 Jesus instructs his disciples to climb into a boat with him to travel “to the other side” of the lake.  While they do so a great windstorm blows up so that the disciples become extremely frightened while Jesus calmly sleeps on a cushion in the back of the boat.  As the boat is taking on water the disciples wake Jesus and ask him: “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”  Jesus proceeds to rebuke the wind and the rain so there is suddenly a dead calm upon the waters.  He turns to his stunned disciples who are wondering, “who is He that even the wind and the rain obey him?” Jesus asks them,  “Why are you afraid?  Have you still no faith?”

Today across the land we are hungered down in fear of the coronavirus. We are well-advised to avoid crowds and unnecessary travel to not only protect ourselves from the virus, but, more importantly to avoid our becoming carriers and unknowingly spread this contagion to others, particularly those whose health is compromised making them more vulnerable to Covid-19.

But, is it rational for the Christian to be in panic, in absolute fear of this disease?

Jesus asks, “Why are we afraid? Have we no faith?” Jesus calmed the storm on the sea and he can calm this storm in our lives today. He is the ultimate peace in the storm and that same peace is available to us when we take our eyes from the chaos and storms surrounding us and focus them instead on our Lord Christ.

Just as we’ve observed how fear and panic are just as contagious—if not even more contagious than the coronavirus itself and can lead us to irrational behaviors such as hoarding toilet paper, so, I submit can the peace and calm assurance of the Christian in the midst of the storms of life spread that same peace and calm through faith in Christ across the land.

May it be our lot, brothers and sisters in Christ, to be agents of peace and calm In this and whatever storms may follow as we rest safe and secure in the abiding presence of Jesus. Our eternal home is with Christ, today is but a temporary residence as we prepare for our journey home.

Peace be yours, in the name of Christ. Amen.