Be not afraid is the single most common statement in the Bible. It makes one wonder how this can be lived. There are scary things on this planet. There are angry and violent people. There are large carnivores. There are cliffs with sheer drops. There are droughts and famines. There are crazy dictators and ideologies. There are horrible diseases, and of course death ahead for us all. There are thieves and murderers, traffickers, cheats and on and on.
I have found wisdom about this and so many things offered by Jesus, variously described as rabbi, teacher, savior. We are more than our bodies and more than our life here.
He urged us not to judge what we see by appearances only. I see an angry person, but I cannot see the deeply wounded heart that leads the person to cry out in anger. I see a person coming from ego selfishness, but I cannot see the path that led them away from wholeness to this anguish of living an ego driven life. Do not be afraid, care, love, see more deeply.
He modeled the experience of being tempted and overcoming that temptation. Be not afraid of temptation. Say "no."
He assures us we are loved and welcomed with open arms by the Father such as in the parable of the prodigal. Be not afraid of losing God's love.
He showed us to not be afraid of death, for it is a doorway into something more. It is not final.
In his wisdom, in so many places, he points us toward compassion for ourselves and others and 180' away from fear. He showed us to walk this life with our eyes open, with God, with forgiveness, with love, in faith.
Wherever we are, look to God, to The More, listen and follow guidance, and be not afraid. We are not alone. We are enfolded in a Love Divine.
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