All people face trials at some point in their lives. Often it can seem as though there is no hope for the future. The apostles themselves faced a similar situation. They were asked by Jesus to take their boats onto the sea, and it was there that they were threatened by a great storm. They were worried. It seemed that Jesus led them into the storm, but was not concerned about their well-being. In the end, they realized that Jesus not only cared for them, but was also able to protect them. He was God, and so greater than any storm or calamity.
Read MoreIn his long journey, Elijah did not encounter God in heavy wind, earthquake, or fire, but unexpectedly in “a sound of sheer silence”. How true that many of the most important things in life – falling in love, the first stirrings of conscience and remorse, the conception of a child – occur in this silent way, without fanfare.
Read MoreKing Herod represents those threatened and insecure people who greet the birth of a child with fear. Just as he deceitfully tried to ascertain the child’s whereabouts so that he might be killed (as he typically did with any would-be contenders to his throne), many today see the unborn child as a threat to their own throne of comfort, lifestyle, and personal autonomy.
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