MARK 6:47-51

When it was evening, the boat was far out on the sea and Jesus was alone on the shore. Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing, for the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out. They had all seen him and were terrified. But at once he spoke with them, “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. They were completely astounded.

Gospelthink: I purposely set it up so that the Apostles cry out, and I answer extremely important words: "Do not be afraid." In my troubles, do I place my hope completely in the Lord?

The heroic action of Captain Chesley Sullenberger better known as "Sully" is the topic of the movie named after him. He had to make a split second decision to save a plane full of passengers and eventually land the plane in the Hudson River. Everyone managed to be pulled to safety. Sully's problem was what could have happened; his mind kept reminding him over and over again of the possibilities of destruction and death. The National Transportation Safety Board did not help matters since they initially thought that he should have done something else rather than risk the loss of the plane and the possible loss of lives. He had to work with the mental pain and nightmares in order to bring his life back into proper focus.   

Mental pain has been judged to be even worse than physical pain. Most of the time physical pain will dissipate after some recuperation, but mental pain has a tendency to remain with us. We tend to dwell on it, think of what could have happened, and so forth. It seems the Apostles in Mark's Gospel account of Jesus walking on water were that way. They were going through an immense amount of mental pain wondering exactly what would happen to them especially at the moment of possible death. "They were terrified," Mark comments.

Likewise Captain Sullenberger was terrified by what happened to the plane he was in charge of and the split second it took for him to react. He knew about the possibilities of the plane hitting something and both jet engines malfunctioning. He understood the ramifications of an action that he had to initiate. It affected his mental thoughts, perhaps for life, but certainly for the immediate time after his decision was made. He knew that he had to accept what happened, and finally understand that he really did the best that he could have. 

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a real disease. It has a tendency to affect anyone who has undergone some difficult moment in life. As we study the example of the Apostles and the example of Captain Sullenberger, perhaps two things become apparent. First, there will be an effect on our lives. We must be ready to accept the fact that highly charged moments will have highly charged effects. We simply must make the decision to do something about it. Secondly, following through on the first effect, we must always be willing to reach out to someone who has the means to help us. The Apostles turned to Jesus; Captain Sullenberger turned to his friends and wife.

Our lives are immensely complicated for one reason or another. When we have a tendency to feel it intensely, it will cause an effect that we must be aware of, and willing to deal with it in some way with the help of others. 

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, we human beings have many feelings about the different things that happen to us, especially those things that are very disturbing. Give us the grace to cope with the mental pain, and turn to you and friends to help us through it. Be with us, we pray. 

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: Someone who has lived through a difficult experience will often suffer mental pain. 
  
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 45 minutes)
1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why?
2. In your opinion, given the description in Mark's Gospel, why did Jesus walk on the water?
3. Project: The teacher may want to present the actual account of the incident described in the movie found in Wikipedia.
4. Most people undergo some type of traumatic stress in their lives. In general, what is the best way to work with such a problem?
5. In general, who are the best people in our lives that we can turn to for help?
6. What makes our lives complicated?
7. Analysis: Captain Sullenberger says that he does not feel like a hero. In your opinion, what are the characteristics of a hero?
8. What do you think would be your first reaction if you had been one of the passengers on the plane?
9. Do you think that the National Transportation Safety Board treated the pilots with respect? Yes or no and why? .      

©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America