The ark is a house that rocks and rolls on the waves of our times. Nobody remains without some fear. But Jesus is in the ark, asleep! He is close to us. Whenever the fear becomes overwhelming and we wake up anxiously, saying: “Save us, Lord, we are going down,” he says: “Why are you so frightened, you people of little faith?” Then he rebukes the winds and sea and makes all calm again (see Matthew 8:23-27). The ark is our home, and Jesus has made it his own. He travels with us and continues to reassure us every time we are driven to panic or tempted to destroy others or ourselves. And as he travels with us, he teaches us how to live in the house of love. It is far from easy to grasp his teaching because we keep looking at the high waves, the heavy winds, and the roaring storm. We keep saying: “Yes, yes … but look!”

Jesus is a very patient teacher. He never stops telling us where to find our true home, what to look for, and how to live. When we are distracted, we focus upon all the dangers and forget what we have heard. But Jesus says over and over again: “Make your home in me, as I make mine in you. Whoever remains in me, with me in them, bears fruit in plenty … I have told you this so that my own joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete” (John 15:4, 5, 11). Thus Jesus invites us to an intimate, fruitful and ecstatic life in his home, which is ours too.

— Henri Nouwen, Lifesigns

How do you let yourself get distracted by fear? How might you bring yourself back to Jesus’ promise of unending love?