“On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side.'”

“And leaving the crowd, they took him with them, just as he was, in the boat. and other boats were with him. and a great storm of wind arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.”

“But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care if we perish?’ and he awoke and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and thee was a great calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?’ And they were filled with awe, and said to one another. ‘Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?'” (Mark 4: 35-41)

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So why were the apostles so frightened? Even to the point of accusing Christ of not caring about their survival. Well, quite frankly, at that point in time they were men of little faith, it had not grown to a point to where they felt they could put their entire life into the hands of one man.

They were mere humans, just like all of us who too often fail to allow ourselves to be guided by a power higher than ourselves. Too often we too are much like the apostles, even though we see things that are hard to explain, it often is not enough for us to put our entire faith into that power behind the marvelous deeds we’ve seen. Instead, too often we choose to follow the guidance of society, or follow the things that we can see that are tangible and when we do, like the apostles, our faith falters and fear sets in.

Even though Christ had already started showing them His greatness and power, they still were afraid of the forces of nature that fell upon them. They didn’t have the faith to believe that they could rise above the storm they were facing at that point in their lives. Even though they had within their midst the Father of all creation, they still were afraid. So, it’s no wonder that today so many of us feel afraid, especially with what we’re all facing right now in a world that seems like everything is upside down, where bad is good and good is bad.

Today, we find ourselves struggling with not only our faith, but we find ourselves in a society that refuses to forgive, takes pleasure in shaming others if they don’t conform with their twisted beliefs, and it’s a society that no longer seems to believe that certain people of their choosing, can ever be redeemed. It’s a society where it makes it extremely difficult to hold onto your faith.

We now find ourselves living in a world that diminishes the lives of both mothers and fathers and their roles in society, it’s a society that tries to make us believe that the family is no longer important and it’s only the “collective” that matters. But that’s not what God wants for us. This is not what He wants for mothers and fathers. Especially today, on Father’s Day, fathers should not be afraid to show that they believe in their God, country, and families! They should be honored and not shamed, and fathers should never be ashamed of who they are, especially if they are men of faith, they must not be afraid to stand up and protect their beliefs and their families for that is what God created them for. Fathers should be cherished, even those who may just be a “father figure” to someone, they too should be respected and honored, for it’s not an easy thing to do. We cannot and should not be bullied into being afraid to acknowledge this truth, we cannot and should not allow society to dictate to us what a father is.

As Christians, we must gather together and strengthen our faith and believe that Christ is right there with us in this fight, in fact, He’s leading the way and we must have the courage to stand up and follow in His every footstep. When we do this, it won’t matter what kind of storm that might hit our lives, as difficult as the storm might be, through faith in Christ we will be able to withstand whatever pain, sorrow, or damage it might cause.

May God bless all fathers, whoever they are, wherever they are, and grant them the honor, respect, and love that they deserve to be given. May God give them the strength to stand up against the evils of darkness that might surround them and their families. Grant them the strength to say “No!” to the upside down world in which we live, and say “Yes!” to Christ who urges them to come to Him for rest and encouragement.

And Lord, let us not forget the fathers who have come before us and have now left this world behind to join you in Your heavenly kingdom. May they be blessed and are now finding the rest they deserve in Your forgiving and loving arms.

Amen