In this Second Week of Advent, we continue to hear the promise. It’s
a promise of the coming of one who will rescue the Israel of Isaiah’s day from
the terrible troubles they‘re in. But, in the context of our Advent journey, it’s
a comforting message for us as well: "Fear not, I will help you.”
If only we could hear and receive that comfort today! Fear takes so
much away from us. It isolates us. What we see and experience gets distorted.
It is so very debilitating. When we are afraid, we are often in a defensive
mode. Too often our fear is real. We've been hurt. We have reason to fear being
hurt again. We might be on the edge of losing our job, our livelihood, our
security. Someone we love may be very sick or dying. The outcome isn't clear.
We may have had a health scare ourselves. Members of our family might not be
getting along or may not be making wise choices. Maybe some of our children or
grandchildren have lost their zeal for Christ.
Maybe a marriage may have come to a very difficult and terribly
frustrating or painful time.
The worst part of fear is that it can distort us. We’re not our best
selves when we’re afraid or defended. Sometimes we live with anger and
resentment as well. We’re tired, because it’s like carrying around a huge
burden on our backs. What is missing is the ability to see goodness and trust
it. It’s often not even in our grasp to enjoy and delight in small things. We
can find ourselves no longer open to being touched by what is beautiful or
promising or loving. So it’s not easy to hear good news, particularly the good
news in the symbols, signs and comfort of Advent.
Sometimes we just hide our fears. “The best defense is a good
offense.” Dogs tend to bark when they are afraid. We often do the same. If I’m
aggressive enough, people just might not hurt me. It can appear to be a good
approach to staying in control of my life.
All these different ways of coping with our challenges can become
deep patterns, and, even if I recognize them, they are not easy to change.
This week of Advent is a great time to ask—if only with a small, timid voice—“Lord, you know
how fearful I am. You know my story. You know me. Please let me surrender, at
least step out of, my fear for a while today. Let me trust that you will help
me, that you want to comfort me. I fear to take the risk, but something is
warming my heart to you and your care for me.”
This is a time to let our relationship with Jesus grow – to be
attracted to Him, to be drawn to Him, to appreciate Him, to thank Him, and to
begin to be caught up in His ways, His courage,His way of loving. His coming
into a messy history, into a human journey, into an embarrassing stable, can
give us hope. And, Isaiah’s promises can come alive for us, today.
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