Today’s author is Prince of Peace member, Jean Olson.
“I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:4)
For the Christian church, ADVENT is a period of time pregnant with expectation, while a weary world waits for the fulfillment of God’s promise of a Savior.
From the prophets of old, to the writers of the Gospels, to Jesus himself, we hear the command “Be not afraid.” An angel appears in a dream to Joseph with the phrase. Mary is greeted by Gabriel with those words when she is told that she is to be the mother of Jesus. The shepherds are awakened by a chorus of angels and told to not be afraid, but go to Bethlehem to see the Child! We, like they, are told to NOT be fearful. And I ask myself: “How is that possible?” Over the course of my life I have often succumbed to my fears. Most frequently it is the fear of LOSS.
Years ago, at the age of three, my family and I were in a horrendous car accident. I survived with cuts and bruises, and a broken arm. Both my mother and my four-year old brother suffered extensive head injuries. My father was killed. As a child, I was unaware that the loss — the death of “daddy” — planted a seed of fear within me. That seed of LOSS has at times prohibited me from drawing too close to others. Too fearful of relationship. Too fearful of losing loved ones again.
FEARS materialize in various ways: fear of pain, fear of failure, loss of power, loss of wealth, fear of shame, loss of respect, fear of being lost, etc. FEAR is seditious! It manipulates. It paralyzes. It isolates. We are unable to will ourselves to be fearless!
Martin Luther, in his Small Catechism, reminds us: “I believe that I cannot by my own understanding or effort believe in Jesus Christ my Lord, or come to him. But the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, and sanctified and kept me in true faith.”
“Be not afraid.” What were their responses? Joseph, rather than shunning Mary, took her in love as his wife. Mary, though troubled, humbly assented and gave praise to God. The shepherds, fast asleep in the fields, woke up, listened to the Good News, then ran in haste to Bethlehem to see the Child, the Promised Savior.
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards!” — Soren Kierkegaard
Prayer: Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord. Amen