Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid. — Matthew 15-27b

Years ago, when I heard someone relate the story of Jesus’ walking on water, the focus always seemed to be on Peter’s failure of faith. If only Peter hadn’t taken his eyes off Jesus, the implication was, he would never have faltered on the crest of the waves. It wasn’t until long after I became an adult that I heard a preacher point out that of all the disciples, Peter was the only one with the courage – and faith – to get out of the boat in the first place. And when his courage did falter, Peter knew on whom to call to save him.

This incident, like so many in Peter’s life, is a lesson for us. Sometimes we have to have the courage to step out into scary situations with only our meager faith to sustain us. And when, in the midst of frightening circumstances, that faith begins to falter because the waves are high and Jesus seems a long way off, we still need to remember to call on Him to save us, to get us back in the boat or safely on shore.

In America, faithful Christians are being buffeted even now by winds and waves that will only grow stronger in the coming years. American Christians haven’t encountered such peril since before the nation’s founding. Many of us – like the disciples who stayed in the boat – will be tempted to huddle in our churches in hopes of riding out the storm. Instead, we need the courage to step out into the gale and do what we can to save the drowning.

Regardless of the outcome of the presidential election, over the next few years, safe harbors for America’s Christians are likely to become harder and harder to find. While our storms are not yet (and may never be) as fearful as those battering our fellow Christians in other parts of the world, it’s time, nevertheless, to recognize that we can weather them not by huddling in our churches, but by having courage to get out of the boat and faith to, as the old song says, “wholly lean on Jesus’ name.”