Fear

Orchids

In the Presence of Peace…

In the Gospel passage for the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus’s disciples reach out to him as the boat they are in is taking on water in the middle of a storm. Jesus says to the wind and the raging sea, “Quiet! Be Still!” and just like that, the storm settles down. This is something he could have done without saying any words, but Jesus, always the teacher, gives his disciples, and us, both an example to follow and words to ponder.

After quieting the storm, Jesus asks his disciples, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” He is not reprimanding them or trying to make them feel bad, but rather he is asking them to reflect on the situation, and trying to help them to know, and to remember, that he is there with them and for them, and so, there is nothing to fear. Without Jesus, the storm can rage on, whether loud and brash or quiet and discreet. It is Jesus’s presence that both quells the storm and brings peace into the quiet and stillness.

Orchids

On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples:
“Let us cross to the other side.”
Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was.
And other boats were with him.
A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat,
so that it was already filling up.
Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion.
They woke him and said to him,
“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
He woke up,
rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!”
The wind ceased and there was great calm.
Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified?
Do you not yet have faith?”
They were filled with great awe and said to one another,
“Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?” – Mark 4:35-41

Familiarity…

What is it that turns the less familiar or unknown into something to be wary of? What is it that stirs up friction, creates angst, and seeks to build fortresses around what is “known” and against what is new or different? While familiarity can be a good thing, it can also get in the way of better things.

At times, what is known can pull at strings, hoping to stretch nerves thin, to direct hearts and minds to narrow ends, and to fill wide, open space with falsehoods. Yes, what’s familiar and comfortable can and will, at times, masquerade around as one beneficial thing or another, while really playing on deep seated or hidden worries, and selling deception as truth.

In the Gospel passage for the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Matthew 10:26-33), Jesus says, “Fear no one…,” “Do not be afraid…,” “Do not be afraid…” As you think about your day-to-day life, envision yourself looking around and listening. Take notice. What do you see and hear? What thoughts and feelings are evoked? And, more importantly, where, or to whom, does it lead you?

“God made Truth with many doors to welcome every believer who knocks on them.” – Khalil Gibran

This is why it’s so important to take time to pause for prayer and to reflect on not only the direction in which one is travelling, but also to notice who or what is prompting or leading one’s movement.

Throughout Scripture we see God engaging with creation in a way that shows flexibility, mercy, forgiveness, and a give and take that always leaves room for growth of heart and mind, and thus, greater understanding that includes reason, but also often extends beyond it. We also see free will, and the twists and turns and outcomes, often unexpected by the human mind, that flow from it. We see many examples of people acting, reacting, and responding out of fear that sells itself as die-hard commitment to tradition, or presents itself as self-preservation, pride, greed, jealousy, and more. There are also many examples of people rising above the circumstances, in ways alternative to the times in which they lived. And through it all, we see, time and again, God’s flexibility through unwavering love, patience, compassion, forgiveness, integrity, and understanding.

What’s an image from Scripture that comes to mind when you think about interactions between God and a person or group of people? Go to a passage that includes one of the interactions, read it, and then spend some time reflecting on it. What are you most drawn to in the passage? What qualities of God touch your heart most deeply? What is God revealing to you and wanting you to know at this moment?

What’s it like to think that maybe everything you’ve ever known is just a fraction of every good thing that awaits you on the other side of resistance to the unfamiliar?

At the Center…

While two out of the three servants made something of the talents (ancient monetary units) given to them by their master, “the man who received one (talent) went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money” (Matthew 25:18).  In the verses that follow in this Gospel passage, we learn the reason behind the servant’s choice. It was fear that essentially paralyzed him. It prevented him from putting to use the talent he was given, leading him to make what ended up being a poor choice… one that did not bear any fruit.

Isn’t that fear in a nutshell? It seeks to restrict or incapacitate one’s ability to see the broader picture and to make the better choice. It seeks to pull us away and distract us from the action that is true and honorable… the action that is best. Not only that, but fear has a way of trying to creep back into the picture, trying to make us lose focus, become discouraged or question what has already been decided.

So what is one to do to guard against any fear that seeks to unravel us? Perhaps the greatest thing we can do is to stop in our tracks and remember. We have been given many powerful gifts with which to walk the path that is ours from beginning to end. God is not only on our side, but also with us, every step of the way. Fear, on the other hand, is the thief in the night seeking to knock us off kilter and to make us forget the truth.

Like the servants in “The Parable of the Talents,” in life we get to choose what we hold on to and what we do with the lot that is ours at any given time. When we allow fear to grab hold of us, we are sure to fall, but when we cling to God, and allow God to be at the center, then not even death can bring us down.

SunRiseAtTheCenter

Where are you?

With all the events happening in the world, I find myself wondering, “Why?” or better yet, “What?” What is it that really causes conflict? What is it that turns a situation from being one of working together to one of working against? What is it that divides?

A number of months ago and out of nowhere, I had an experience that blind-sided me. At the time, I felt taken advantage of and betrayed. I had trusted that there was honesty and authenticity, but come to find out, there was not. There was an exchange that started out in what seemed a positive direction, but then it came to light that there was only darkness and deceit on the other side…and hidden underneath that darkness and deceit were assumptions, judgments and misinterpretations driven mostly by fear.

There is the saying, “Money is the root of all evil,” but it certainly seems that fear ought to be right up there next to money, if not above it. It is often fear unchecked, that is behind words, actions, and inactions that can cause damage and destruction for both, me, and the world around me. It can stop me in my tracks. It can unleash anger and anxiety (among other feelings) that may tempt and cause me to act in ways that I would not otherwise. Fear, unchecked and in charge, can make me run fast, far, and wide, and most significantly, it can lead me away from the very place where I need to be.

In the Book of Genesis, while we can see that jealousy played a part in all that happened between the serpent and Eve and then Eve and Adam in the Garden of Eden, we can also see that fear was right there too. After the fruit has been eaten, Adam and Eve hear God walking in the garden and they hide. (Thousands of years removed, and from what I have come to believe about God, I find this somewhat humorous. Like anyone can actually hide from God. However, I suppose we can, and do at times, allow ourselves to think we are hiding from God.)

God says to Adam, “Where are you?” God does not say, “What have you done? One tree, man! I asked you and the woman to stay away from one tree!…” God does not criticize Adam and Eve up one side of the Garden of Eden and down the other. God does not shame them, try to make them more fearful, or strip away their dignity (further than their actions have already done).

While there are consequences for their actions, God still cares for them and about them, and does not abandon them. God already knows what they have done and could simply call them out and punish them, but instead God starts by simply asking, “Where are you?” What a great question!

God wants to hear their story. God wants to hear our story. How open are we to hearing each other’s stories?

Imagine how different life might be if we took the time to ask and to consider of ourselves, and others, “Where are you?”

I imagine there would be fewer assumptions, judgments, and misinterpretations…fewer misunderstandings…less fear…and more love in the world.

Compass