Fear or Faith?

 

Are you familiar with the Old Man of the Mountain in the White Mountains of New Hampshire?  Some years ago, we got the sad news that the stone face fell off the mountain. Well, I recently came across a charming story about a great stone face...

 

 

In a pleasant, sunny valley surrounded by lofty mountains, lived a boy named Ernest. On the side of one of the mountains, in bold relief, nature had carved the features of a gigantic face.

 

From the steps of the cottage, the boy used to gaze intently upon the stone face, for his mother had told him some day a man would come to the valley who would look just like the Great Stone Face. His coming would bring happiness and prosperity to the entire community.

 

“Mother,” said the boy, “I wish it could speak, for it looks so kind that its voice must be pleasant. If I were to see a man with such a face, I would love him dearly.” So, Ernest continued to gaze at the Great Stone Face for hours at a time.

 

Several times the rumor spread that the long-looked-for benefactor was coming, but each time when the man arrived, the rumor proved to be false. In the meantime, Ernest had grown into manhood, doing good wherever he could. The people in the village loved him. Everyone was his friend. And as he became an old man, Ernest was still looking for the arrival of the long-expected one.

 

One day a poet came into the valley. He had heard the prophecy about the Great Stone Face, and at evening, when the sun was setting, he saw Ernest talking to some people. As the last rays of light flooded the massive outlines on the distant mountainside, they fell on Ernest’s face. The poet cried aloud, “Behold! Behold! Ernest himself is the likeness of the Great Stone Face.”

 

Then all the people looked, and sure enough, they saw that what the poet said was true. By looking daily at the Great Stone Face, Ernest had become like it.

 

The author concludes the story by suggesting, “If we gaze intently on Jesus as our Teacher and Example, we will become more like him.”

 

In our gospel reading today, we’ve heard the story of two desperate people, a woman who has had a debilitating hemorrhage for twelve years, and a man whose daughter is critically ill, at the point of death. What did these desperate people do? They sought out Jesus.

 

Imagine the faith of the woman, who made her way through the large crowd around Jesus, thinking, “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.” And imagine the faith of the father saying, “My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live.” For these ardent seekers of healing, these desperate searchers, their faith in Jesus pays off. To the man who learns that it’s too late, his daughter has died, Jesus says, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.”

 

And so, the challenge of these readings has to do with our faith. Perhaps when life becomes difficult and we are desperate, looking to Jesus comes naturally. But what about other times when we’re just coasting along. To whom do we look? Who is our model, our idol, our hero? Who forms us, gives us wisdom, helps us to discern our values? Especially now, when everything seems so divisive, when everything gets politicized, people seem to become more and more like the person they are following. Many have told me that they are worried about the direction of our country, about what life may hold in store for their children and grandchildren. It the midst of this storm of confusion and fear, I would ask: where is Jesus in the mix of life swirling around us?

 

The beginning of today’s gospel speaks of Jesus getting out of a boat. Do you remember last week’s gospel? Jesus is asleep in the boat, and a major storm comes, and the disciples panic, thinking they’re going to die? Jesus is in the boat with them, and they forget that. He is the calm in their storm, the anchor of their life, and they’re scared to death. “Where is your faith?” Jesus asks. And that’s the same question we must wrestle with: where is our faith? Whom do we trust? Whose teaching do we follow?

 

If you want one line to think about, consider Jesus’ words to the man who believes his daughter has died: “Do not be afraid; just have faith.”

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