From today’s Gospel:
John 14:1 Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
A translator’s note in our New American Bible points out “you have faith” in Greek could also be an imperative: “Have faith in God” as the second “have faith also in me” is. (The verb forms are identical in Greek.)
Christ is not talking about a quick little emotional dip in our day when he speaks of a troubled heart. Sometimes you scorch the scrambled eggs or your team gives up three runs in the 9th and loses. Those little emotional tides go in and out all day, every day. Our “heart” is a much more serious matter–for it involves our deepest identity where we encounter God. At THAT level, Jesus is telling disciples, do not let yourself be troubled. Emotional storms come and go on the surface–trust and reliance on the Lord operate on the bedrock level. Reassure your inmost self–“He is with me, for me, beside me, within me, and no matter what the storms without, He is bringing me home.”