Imagine being 30,000 feet in the air when suddenly, you realize something is terribly wrong. The engine of your plane has failed over the vast Atlantic Ocean. This was the terrifying reality for the passengers of Air Transat Flight 236 in 2001. As the plane lost power, the cabin erupted into chaos. Fear took over every heart; panic could be felt in the air and in everyone’s eyes. Passengers cried out, praying desperately, embracing their loved ones, and bracing for the worst. In those moments, it must have felt like the end—helplessness mixed with the paralyzing fear of what was to come.

But while the passengers were consumed by terror, something remarkable was happening in the cockpit. The pilots, who were facing the exact same life-threatening situation, remained calm. Despite the overwhelming odds, they focused on the task at hand. With a mixture of training, trust in their instruments, and sheer determination, they managed to keep the powerless plane in the air and glide it at least 75 miles to the nearest airport where they safely did an emergency landing. Not a single life was lost. The difference between the passengers and the pilots wasn’t the situation—they were all in the same storm. The difference was in how they responded to it.

This story powerfully illustrates the contrast between panic and calm in the face of a crisis. It’s a reminder that while our instinct may be to panic, there is an alternative—a choice to trust, to remain calm, and to act with faith rather than fear.

In Mark 4:35-41, we see a similar scenario. The disciples, like the passengers on that flight, were caught in a crisis; a storm that threatened their lives. They panicked, convinced that they were going to drown. But what troubled them more was probably the fact Jesus was right there with them in the boat, but completely indifferent to their struggles and suffering resting on a soft, comfortable cushion. And when they wake him up, it appears almost as if He is bothered, troubled by it all questioning if they have faith at all.

Panic often leads to impaired judgment, causing us to act out of fear, make poor decisions, question or forget about God’s presence in our lives. And then we might feel, as the disciples did, that God is “asleep” in our crisis, seemingly indifferent to our struggles. This can push us toward anger, blame, and hopelessness.

But Jesus shows us another way. His command to the storm—“Quiet! Be still!”—wasn’t just for the wind and the waves; it was for the disciples’ hearts as well. It’s a command and reminder for us today, calling us to calm our fears, trust in His presence, and believe that He is in control, even when it seems like He’s asleep. He never in fact blamed the disciples for waking him up and the moment they did turn to Him, Jesus was quick to step into their situation and calm the storm. What he did question was their fear, their panic. 

In life’s storms, we have a choice. We can panic, or we can place our faith in the One who has the power to calm the storm. May the Lord teach us to trust Him, finding peace in His presence, and knowing that He is always with us, even when we feel alone. And just as those pilots guided the plane to safety, Jesus guides us through every storm, leading us to a place of peace.