The Tears of God

   

     Today the Church is being assailed from many different directions.  In this case I am using the word Church in its broadest sense and including all who proclaim Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord both Catholic and Protestant.  As I see it besides the internal strife we create for ourselves the biggest danger we face is the onslaught of Islamic terror against Christians in general. I really do not know how we can protect ourselves against a people that uses terror and violence to spread their teachings. 

     The Church teaches that the followers of Islam worship the same God as Christians.  This may be true but they don't seem to see God as Father, but rather as a slave owner.  Is the spread of Islam a chastisement of God against us for our disobedience?  The Old Testament tells many stories of how when the Hebrew people disobeyed God that misfortune followed. 

     What can we do to protect our churches and ourselves and our families against Islamic terrorism?  I would really like some suggestions. 

Calming The Storm - Trusting

The sky was gray and flashes of lightning lit up the sky and thunder rolled and made its bold proclamation. A small band of men were half way between where they were coming from and where they were going.  Waves lashed their small boat and the rolling thunder seemingly laughed at their puny efforts to control nature. Real fear welled up inside them and they cried out to their true captain for help. He stood and raising his hands he calmed the storm. They were amazed at what he could do. 

We have all had storms in our life. Sickness, disputes between family members, loss of a job, restlessness, feeling guilty for something you did or failed to do, and other things of the same ilk. 

I know for certain that until that day I arrive in heaven that storms are inevitable. It is not a question of "if" but rather "when."*  We have to be ready for the storms and we have to learn to trust in the Captain of our very Soul. 

In Matthew 8:23-27 we read;

He got into a boat and his disciples followed him.

24 Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so

that the boat was being swamped by waves; but he was asleep. 25 They came and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" 26 He said to them, "Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?"  Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,

and there was great calm. 27 The men were amazed and said, "What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?"   (Matt 8: 23-27)

I think it is telling that the disciples found the Master sleeping.  A person who is worried does not sleep. The disciples could not understand how He could be sleeping when all around them the world was in chaos.  They woke Him up and He asked them why they had such little faith.  When I put myself in the place that the apostles found themselves in I can certainly sympathize with them.  It appeared that they were going to perish.  In reality Jesus had everything under control even though they could not see that with their mortal eyes. 

I too have that tendency to panic when a storm hits my life. I don't think I am unique in this.  What I have to tell myself is that the storm is a passing thing and that Jesus, the Captain of my Soul has everything under control.  

*Quote from Matthew Kelly
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