Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled

This past Sunday’s Gospel reading could have been written exactly for the current times. In John chapter 14 we hear directly from Jesus, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.”

These words of encouragement often ring in my thoughts. When Jesus says these words, he was comforting his disciples, who definitely had troubled hearts. Jesus promises that His death will not be the end. He explains that His death and coming ascension into heaven rather than leaving them broken and alone, will bring about two specific blessings: it will enable Him to prepare a place for them, and it will allow Him to send the Holy Spirit to comfort them.

If you are like me, perhaps you also cannot make heads or tails of what is currently going on in the world. Six months ago no one would have predicted that we would all be home in lock down, the national and world economy would be dismantled and thousands of people would be sick and dying from a pandemic disease.

Now more than ever we need to reflect on the words from the Gospel of John chapter 14. It is time to take stock of the type of relationship we have with Christ. We have to ask ourselves do we believe His words to us? Can we live in trust that He has gone to prepare a place for us and that the Holy Spirit is ever present to comfort us? Every day I see examples of people living in faith and trusting in God. Let not the isolation that many of us are experiencing keep us from reaching out to one another. For us it is easier than for those who lived two thousand years ago. Connect in whatever way you can with family and loved ones. Reach out to those who have limited contacts or resources. In this time, we need to be Christ for others. “Let not our hearts be troubled. Believe!”