The Rev. Laurel Hart, Deacon (retired)
Scripture: Genesis 15:1-12,17-18
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom then shall I fear?
Fear. I'm pretty sure this is an emotion that a very frustrated and exhausted Abram was feeling. He and his family were enduring a never-ending onslaught of difficult circumstances. Due to famine, they've been forced to leave their home. Abram believes to ensure his safety he must devised a scheme to hide Sarai in the Pharaohs harem. Just to make this time more trying he and Lot are embroiled in a family feud. Lot is captured by rival forces and Abram was forced to go to battle. Then when it's all over with, it appears that he and Sarai may never have an heir.
Fear. It's a word I've been hearing a lot lately. You’re not alone in feeling this way, I’m feeling it also. I’ve heard the word spoken by my friends, acquaintances, and family members. It’s discussed in blogs, written news reports, and spoken on TV reports during interviews. It feels like we're living in a world that's been turned upside down, a sense of foreboding hangs in the air and the hits just seem to keep coming. I don't remember a time in my life when fear has been so palpable in the entire country. Who is the next federal employee we know who will lose their job? Who do we know that might have their SNAP benefits or Medicaid taken away? The Social security benefits we work so hard for – are they safe?
I believe we've all experienced personal times of great fear. Some of you have heard my story of my most fearful personal experience. My family was sailing our 34-foot sailboat with a blown engine through the Straits of Juan de Fuca - the body of water between Canada and US. We were in the middle of a terrible storm, the captain and I were wearing our life jackets and we were hooked to the boat’s life lines with safety harnesses. Our boys were in the cabin below and I sat outside on the cockpit floor crying my eyes out from fear. I must admit I was counting more on the skill of the captain and less on God. So here I am still alive after all these years and realize that God really was watching over my family that day. (PS – this was part of my life before Jim - he has heard the story and is most grateful he didn't live through it). Are there times in your life where you've struggled to see God at work in the moment but then see God's presence more clearly in hindsight?
But this time in the year 2025, seems to be a time of universal anxiety in our community, our nation and the world. I recently read that the term “fear not” is written in the Bible 365 times, which, ironically, is how many days there are in a year. The root of fear is the threat of harm, of the unknown which can be real or imagined. It’s a natural response to danger that helps us prepare to fight or flee. Fear is considered an emotion; it's a natural human feeling that arises in response to perceived danger or threat, serving as a survival mechanism to alert us to potential harm. It’s the word we use to describe our emotional reaction to something that seems dangerous. People fear things or situations that make them feel unsafe or unsure such as the current political turmoil. No, fear is not inherently a sin, but how you respond to fear can be. However, fear can become questionable when it controls you and prevents you from having faith in God. Or we might say fear is misplaced trust. Fear will cause us to trust our own resources or to put our trust in someone or something else other than God. Recall that Abram's fear of the Egyptians caused him to create a scheme, to broadcast a lie about Sarai being his sister.
I have always been grateful to be part of a religious denomination, The Episcopal Church, which follows a calendar of Liturgical seasons. And Lent is one of our very precious times when we reflect upon our relationship with God leading to the day of the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus. We still have six weeks until Easter – lots of Lenten time. I'm not going to tell you not to feel afraid about the turmoil we are living through. Don't keep those feelings of anxiety bottled up in yourself please. Find outlets, talk to your family, reach out to those people you feel are safe for mutual sharing of feelings. Pray for yourself, your loved ones, people who are caught in this chaos. Come to church and pray with this community. Remember, when Jesus finished his 40 days in the wilderness he gathered in community and the love seeded there spread to the world. Ask God for wisdom to seek places where you can help. As a country, as a city, as a church community we must help each other through times like we’re experiencing now. We can do better with and for each other. We can reach out to those suffering and in fear to offer support and comfort. If you're practicing a penitential Lent by giving up something- give the money you've saved to charity. There are groups forming to hold peaceful protests against this insanity, join if that's something you want and can do. Call, write or email those people we voted for to represent us and let them know your thoughts and feelings. Pray, pray, pray. We all can do better with God’s help.
A Prayer Over My Fear
God, you know that we live in a crazy and chaotic world that makes fear soar. You also know my struggles in my daily life. When life gets to be too much, please help me come to you. Calm my thoughts and emotions and open my heart to your peace, comfort, and wisdom. Help me not to live in fear. Please reduce the feelings of fear and anxiety that plague me. Help me rest in You and trust You as I navigate through this broken world. In Your Name, I pray, Jesus. Amen.
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