Sermonette: February 1, 2021

There are 365 times in scripture that we read the words, “Be not afraid.” I’ve never gone through and counted them, so don’t quote me on it, but a simple concordance search confirms: there’s about that many. The remarkable part is to whom “Be not afraid” is spoken. It’s told to Abraham (Gen 15:1) as he is called to be the father of the nation. It is told to Hagar, the poor, servant girl, single mother, treated terribly by those in power (Gen 21:17). It’s said to warriors before they go into battle (Joshua 10:25). Sometimes God says it through a prophet: “Fear not, for I am with you” Isa 41:10. Down and out (and resistant!) prophets; good kings and bad kings; saints and sinners alike; outsiders and those who are “in the fold.” Those who are in power, and those who are the most vulnerable among us.

“Be not afraid” is said by an angel, declaring very frightening news (“you’re pregnant” and young, and unwed in a world where that’ll get you killed, carrying the savior of the world).

That it’s in Scripture this often doesn’t only reveal how much God wants us to not be afraid, but also (maybe more importantly!) how often we humans are scared. And how we can be honest about that. We can admit to God our fear. The most faithful in Scripture, and the most faithful among us. It’s not a fair assessment to say that people who have enough faith aren’t ever afraid.

I admit, fear has been a constant companion this past year, and I’ve definitely learned about myself and MY reaction to fear. It doesn’t feel good. I feel paralyzed and irritable. Many times I just want to run and hide into my old life— of how things were before. I easily escape to my mindless scrolling on social media, which is rarely helpful.

In a pandemic year, as I’ve watched (and tried not to watch) the violence throughout this country, at times fear paralyzes. After the Capitol violence on January 6, I was talking to a friend and raised my voice to say, “I have a family to raise! I don’t have time to sit home and worry about this!”

As soon as it came out of my mouth, I felt a little silly. It’s embarrassing to write about. That notion that everything needs to be going a certain, calm, non-confrontational way... that my equilibrium cannot be messed with otherwise God isn’t blessing me, God isn’t answering my prayers, God isn’t with me.

This couldn’t be farther from the truth. There are people all over the world, Christians certainly, whose equilibriums routinely aren’t in balance: due to war, those who are in fear for their safety, struggling to meet basic needs. People who don’t know where their next paycheck will come from.

This February, in these sermonettes, we will explore some of the ways fear affects our lives. We will look at what Scripture says about it, and what God says about it, and what history teaches us. For now, if you’re interested, you could write about your own experiences around fear. What makes you afraid? How do you react when you’re afraid? What do you think about God when you’re afraid? Onto next week: Godspeed.