Keep Calm

Seeking our serenity in Jesus

 Matthew 14:24-33

 Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.  During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea.  When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.  “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.  At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”  Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”  He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.  But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”  Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”  After they got into the boat, the wind died down.  Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”

            How we behave outwardly often reflects our inner dispositions.  For instance, if our actions are out of control and we're acting like a wildman, that usually means there’s chaos inside of us.  On the other hand, a tranquil exterior often indicates a peaceful mind and a calm conscience.  In other words, our behavior is a good barometer of our beliefs.  Back during the Civil War many people had never seen the President of the United States; they often didn’t know what he looked it.  Now, you can’t turn on the T.V. without seeing him!  Well, one day, President Abraham Lincoln was visiting a field hospital and about to enter a ward.  Just then, an orderly came barreling through the door in the opposite direction and crashed into the president.  Both men crumbled to the floor.  The young orderly became livid with rage and demanded: “Why don’t you look where you’re going, you long, lanky, bearded buffoon!?”  Mr. Lincoln, stood up, dusted himself off and asked, “Young man, what’s troubling you on the inside?”  What a great response.  What’s even better was Lincoln’s composure, his calm, his peace.  That collision laid bare what was inside each man’s heart: turmoil in the orderly, serenity in the president.

             Have you seen those “Keep Calm” signs?  That was a slogan used in Great Britain during World War II to keep people from panicking in the face of the German bombardment.  The original poster read: “Keep Calm and Carry On.”  But in 2000 people started changing it to all kinds of things.  Here are some funny ones I’ve seen.  One said: “Keep Calm and Call Batman.”  That should do the trick.  Another one read: “Keep Calm and Love Penguins.”  Don’t penguins calm you down?  Another one said, “Keep Calm and Call Mom,” which I’m sure must refer to the Blessed Mother Mary.  When I was going into the Carmelites last year, some good friends got me a sweatshirt that said, “Keep Calm and Wear Brown”!  Well, that obviously didn’t work!  I think what makes that slogan so popular is that we all want to stay calm and peaceful, like Lincoln did, but we don’t know where to seek that calm.  And so we search for calm in Batman, and in penguins, and in brown robes.

            In the gospel today, St. Peter begins to learn how to “keep calm,” namely, by having a firm faith in Jesus.  Now, notice what’s happening: while Peter’s inner faith remains strong, he’s able to step out of the boat and start to walk on the water.  Peter should have worn a shirt that said, “Keep Calm and Walk on Water.”  But when that inner faith is shaken by the winds and waves, he sinks.  Scott Hahn once said we judge Peter too harshly because Jesus said to him, “Oh, ye of little faith.”  But if Peter’s faith is “little,” how microscopic must have been the faith of the other 11 apostles who didn't even get out of the boat??  You see, Peter’s behavior was a barometer of his belief: his faith, even though little, allowed him to walk on water.  At the end of his life, Peter would keep calm even as he was being crucified upside-down, a feat far greater than walking on water.  You see, Peter kept calm on the OUTSIDE because he had great faith on the INSIDE.

             So let me ask you today: where does your calm come from?  Do you tend to be like that orderly and blow up and freak out when life’s waves and winds knock you down?  Or, do you keep calm like Lincoln and St. Peter?  You see, our exterior behavior is often a very accurate barometer of our inner beliefs, our actions tell us whether we’re really people of faith or not.  Last week I had a moment where I sort of panicked; I lost my calm and cool.  I was about to walk across Rogers Ave. and stopped to talk to the guy repairing the traffic light.  He said he was fixing the camera on top of the lights.  Have you seen those cameras?  I panicked and said, “Wait a minute, those are not just dummy cameras?  You mean they really work?!”  He smiled and cautioned me: “Oh, yeah, they work just fine.”  He went on: “Don’t be like that guy who got caught on camera.  He ran a red light, and the police department sent him a copy of the ticket and a photo of his car in the mail.  He tried to be clever and took a picture of $40 and sent the photo in the mail.  A few days later, the police department sent him a photo of some handcuffs in the mail.  The man immediately paid his $40.”  So, keep calm and don’t run red lights.  When our inner faith is rooted in Jesus, we keep calm no matter what happens around us: high winds and waves, knocking down the president of the United States, a divorce, a lost job, a broken friendship, a failed test, or even being crucified upside-down.  You keep calm on the outside when you have faith on the inside.

             One day President Lincoln and an assistant were interviewing people for cabinet positions when Lincoln first became president.  One man came in with very high qualifications, but the president didn’t hire him.  When the man left, the aide asked him, “Why didn’t you hire him?  He was the perfect candidate.”  Lincoln answered, “I didn’t like the look on the man’s face.”  The aide said surprised: “You didn’t hire him because of the look on his face??”  Lincoln said: “Every man over 40 is responsible for the look on his face.”  Abraham Lincoln knew that what’s on the inside of a man is often reflected on the outside, on his face, and he knew better than to hire that man.

             The best way to keep calm on the outside is when we have faith on the inside. And who knows, a little faith may even improve your looks.

Praised be Jesus Christ!