One of the best-known theories in psychology is so-called Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. According to this concept, safety needs are the second most important for a human, right after physiological needs. Everyone knows from their own experience how important it is to feel and be safe from different kinds of danger. We try to protect ourselves from robbery and avoid dangerous places or people. Yet, Christianity has not been a safe choice for the people throughout history, neither it is these days.
The Apostles followed Jesus, which was not a secure step. They became targets for a lot of fellows from the Jewish community and all around the world. One can even say that, as well as in the Apostolic time, lack of security is an indispensable part of the Christian life nowadays. It appears that the choice pro-faith is linked with a choice of danger or, at least, social insecurity. It is amazing that despite those hard results of an act of faith, there are still so many people accepting Christianity, even in the most dangerous parts of the world. Is our faith not a masochistic act, which contradicts a natural need of being safe and protect own life and its quality? Does Jesus really want to put our lives in danger?
The Apostles’ lack of faith in today’s Gospel is somehow understandable. Imagine yourself in this kind of situation. The truth is that the Apostles’ faith was not something fixed once and for all. They felt fear in the dangerous situation. However, this danger is for a reason. God does not want us to be masochistically persecuted or exposed to risk as a result of a personal choice. It is essential to note that the Apostles, who probably had better ideas on dealing with a storm on a lake, went to Jesus and ask Him for help. At the same time, they could have been aware that they landed in the middle of the lake because Jesus had asked them to sail that particular night. Yet, they did not blame Him but kept following Him.
An act of faith is a mystery, possible to understand only in the context of Jesus’ saving passion. He is an example of that trust of faith in the face of the most dramatic situations. This faith transcends human understanding. Even if the faith does not remove the natural human needs, it gives the background to comprehend the risk of accepting Jesus’ invitation to friendship in the perspective of salvation.
Łukasz Gołąb – Seminary of the Good Shepherd, Sydney, Australia
Fot. Matthew Henry/Unsplash.com