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 A collective reflection on Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love Saturday, December 14, 2024 |
The Antidote to Fear Isaiah 9:6-7, John 14:27 When I read the biblical accounts of God and his followers, sometimes it can be challenging to put myself in the shoes (or sandals) of ancient peoples with nomadic or agrarian lifestyles so different from my own. Unlike Jacob, I can’t fathom using a rock as a pillow. I love the metaphor of beating swords into plowshares, but I have no idea what a plowshare actually is. Sometimes I get hung up by the details when I try to connect with these stories of people whose ways are so unlike my ways. However, when I look past customs and culture, I see we aren’t so different regarding feelings, needs, hopes, and fears. God frequently exhorted his people not to fear since surely they were afraid sometimes, just as surely as I, too, am afraid sometimes. It seems the opposite of fear, maybe even the antidote, is hope. Abraham hoped for a son; Joseph held on to hope for rescue from captivity; Moses led through the wilderness toward the hope of the Promised Land; and the Jews hoped and prayed for a Messiah to rescue them from the rule of Rome. Although we now live in the thrill of hope of the new covenant, with the revelation that our wonderful counselor is ushering in a new kingdom of everlasting peace, we still wait for the establishment of that kingdom. We continue to be beset by the troubles of this world, and fear can creep in even as we cling to hope. When Jesus promised to leave us with a peace that is unlike the peace of this world, I’m reminded he also told us that we should expect to have troubles in this world. Like those who came before us, we can let hope arise even amid doubt and fear. Why? Because we know Jesus came not merely to topple Roman rule but to defeat darkness, death, and sin forever. By Debbie Smith PRAYER FOR TODAY Dear Jesus, the world sometimes tells us, “Don’t get your hopes up.” But you tell us the opposite – DO get your hopes up! Please establish, anchor, and hold us in this hope. Help us fix our eyes on you, secure in the knowledge that a day is coming when every tear will be dried. The former things continue to pass away as your plan for us unfolds, leading us to those green pastures where one day we will live together forever as one family, united in your name. |
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