Castings: August 7, 2026

Do not be afraid

In biblical literature the sea is often the place where chaos reigns, where forces that oppose God dwell. It is understandable that the disciples, in a rocking boat that’s being battered by the wind, are afraid. It’s in the midst of their terror, in the midst of the unknown that Jesus comes to them. On the water. Jesus just walks across it. We can see what they can’t. He has not forgotten them or left them alone. Into the waves of the storm, the chaos, the terror, he intercedes. Jesus comes to them and speaks the words: Do not be afraid.

What do we do with our fear? When it feels like chaos is reigning and when the forces that rebel against God seem to be closing in and around us? Jesus walks right up to Peter and to us, startlingly close. We are not promised that storms will avoid us or that chaos won’t find us; we are given a Savior who meets us in the midst of the chaos and catches us when we fall. Do not be afraid.