At times we all are afraid. At times, we feel tossed about and fear for our lives and for our souls. We forget that God is with us and always remains with us. God never abandons us. Jesus sees our need and our fear and comes towards us, sometimes at the least expected time or in the least expected way, but we shy away. Perhaps we prefer the tempest we know. Perhaps we think that we can simply endure it. Trying that may seem easier and even preferable to opening ourselves up to that which is above us and our skills and our abilities and so frightens us all the more. Our hearts get hardened and we do not understand or forget the lesson of having been nourished. We think or hope that by our might that our struggles will win us through and so we keep floundering in the storm.

So what can cure our hard hearts? What can ease our fears? What can bring us peace? Our readings today tell us God is love. And that if we love one another we have God within us and God's love is brought to perfection within us. When we love one another we are most like God. When we love one another, fear is cast out. God so loves us that God comes to us in our need. God comes whenever we call. And God even comes when we don’t call. With God’s grace our lives can testify to Jesus, to God’s love, to that peace which calms tempests and that love which drives out fear.