Service held on Sunday 15th August 2010, led by Rev Fraser Paterson
Don’t be Afraid –
Peak 11
What are you afraid of?
What would you say is your greatest fear?
A big hairy spider in your bedroom? In your bed? A mouse in the pantry? A frog in the toilet? An elephant chasing you? (I’ve experienced all fours!)
Maybe it’s running out of money, going to hospital, being found out when you’ve cheated or done something wrong. Sometimes our inability to be honest with others, and ourselves, creates a good deal of fear and discomfort.
We all have different fears. As Spike Milligan once wrote:
“Things that go bump in the night
Give one a terrible fright
But it’s only the ear
That lets in the fear –
That, and the absence of light”.
There is a deeper kind of fear, too; sometimes too difficult to express in words, some things we don’t want to articulate because it means admitting to that fear – and we’re afraid of that, too.
The fear of death and what happens after death:
“The undiscovered country from whose bourne
No traveller returns puzzles the will
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others we know not off” (Hamlet Act 3 – To be or not to be…)
But for some, the fear of life and what it offers is greater than the fear of death. One of the first funeral services I ever took after being ordained was that of a friend from school, from church, a next door neighbour – who had committed suicide, gassed himself in his car. He was more afraid of living than of dying.
We have deep fears which will motivate our actions, actions which at times can appear stupid or irrational. Fear of rejection, fear of loneliness, exclusion, humiliation: though sometimes we would rather be humiliated than neglected or unnoticed:
“Look at me, I’m here, I’m being stupid – notice me!” Mother Theresa, who gave her life to help some of the world’s most neglected people once said that the fear of being unnoticed, despised, rejected was far greater than the fear of going without food. She gave love to the destitute and dying like Francis of Assisi.
This, for me, is what the Christian faith is all about, is at the heart of the gospel: giving love, taking away fear. The church used to be – and in some instances still is – very good at instilling fear. We were taught that not only were we sinners, we were supposed to be miserable sinners. Remember the old Scottish preaching style:
“And unless ye do exactly what ye’re telt, and follow the law o’ the kirk tae every jot and tittle, ye’ll soon be deid, and then ye’ll gang aff to the roaring fires o hell, where ye’ll be punished for eternity, and there will be weeping and gnashing o teeth!”
“But whit aboot those o’ us that disnae hae ony teeth?”
“Teeth will be provided!”
The obedience of fear, rather than the obedience of love.
“I will obey God and the church and all its laws because if I don’t I will be ostracized humiliated, physically and emotionally abused and I will end up in hell, starting right here on earth”.
Rather than:
“Lord, I will do whatever you ask of me because you have shown me your love and I want to respond by doing what I can to demonstrate my love for you”.
Which of these do you think Jesus would have preferred? What is at the heart of the gospel?
Over and over again in Scripture, Old and New Testaments we come across the phrase: “Do not be afraid”, or “Fear not”.
After Abraham had rescued his cousin Lot from the Kings of Sodom and Gomorrah, the Lord says to him: “Do not be afraid – I am your shield”, (Gen 26:24)
Moses says to Joshua, about to take over the leadership of the people of Israel and lead them into the Promised Land:
“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged”, (Deut 31: 7,8)
Gideon, terrified at having to face the Midianites, Israel’s enemy of the time, and by all appearances a lot stronger, hears the Lord say to him “Peace be with you. Do not be afraid. You are not going to die (Judges 6:23)
Daniel, of Lion’s Den fame, was having to face up to Cyrus, King of Persia, and despite those friendly lions he was still struggling with what he had to do: “My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe”, and the Lords responds: “Do not be afraid, O man high esteemed. Peace; be strong now, be strong”, (Daniel 10: 17,18)
The wonderful words form the passage we read from Isaiah: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by your name, you are mine, I will be with you” (Is 43: 1,2)
Or in the New Testament the angel Gabriel speaking to Zechariah, letting him know that despite the odds he was going to have a son, whose name would be John: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, your prayer has been heard” (Luke 1:13)
The same angel speaking to Mary, letting her know that, despite the odds, she, too, was going to have a baby “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God” (Luke 1:30)
Those terrified shepherds in the field abiding, watching o’er their flocks by night, suddenly confronted by a host of angels: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10)
Jesus to Peter when he’s just caught all the fish he wasn’t expecting and his boat began to sink: Peter says “Stay away from me Lord, I am a sinful man” – Jesus replies: “don’t be afraid, from now on you will be fishers of men” (Luke 5:10) And many, many more. It is a theme of Scripture.
And of course it is often said precisely because people are afraid. When Jesus was speaking to his disciples at the Last Supper: they were afraid, they were terrified! Their master, their Lord, had just told them that he was going to be betrayed, denied, put to death. The end was coming: what were they to do? For them, at the time, it was the worst possible scene they could imagine: what would they do without Jesus? He had changed their lives – what would they do if he wasn’t there to lead them?
And Jesus says: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid” (John 14:27) That’s a peak!
He leaves them his gift of peace, the kind of peace that takes away fear. Peace, “Shalom” – not simply an absence of trouble or conflict; not an avoidance of facing up to things – but a peace that comes from the knowledge that God is with us; that there is nothing in death or life, in the present or in the future or the past, nothing in all creation that can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ. Whatever we are facing, that is the knowledge that brings peace.
St Andrews Day brings to mind Celtic Spirituality. And also because it calls to mind what we call Celtic Spirituality, the essence of which is relationship: with God, with the earth, with one another. At the heart of life everything is related to every other thing: land, sea, plants, trees, birds, fish, animals, human beings. And if everything is related then the well-being of the whole is affected by the well-being of each one. That is the understanding behind this beautiful Celtic blessing:
“Deep peace of the running wave to you
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the gentle night to you
Moon and starts pour their healing light on you
Deep peace of the light of the world to you
Now and always.”
This is my understanding of the gospel; my understanding of God. This is at the heart of my faith, my soul. God is the God of all creation, Lord of all; Lord who is in all. Not a vengeful God sitting up there somewhere waiting for the opportunity to catch us doing something wrong so he can punish us – there is no peace in that! But God of love, of life, of light, who has given us freedom – even though he knows that means we’re going to mess things up sometimes. The Father running to greet us …….
Having faith in God, following Jesus Christ, doesn’t mean that nothing will ever happen to you, or that you will understand all the hurtful things that come your way. I know that. Sooner or later we all face hardship, disappointment, grief. There will be times when things go wrong and we will be saying “Why Lord? Why me? Why this?” Even Jesus did that, on the Cross; “My God, my god, why have you forgotten me?”
It is precisely at times like this that we need to remember the theme of Scripture: “Do not be afraid” to know deep within our souls that there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ.
“Peace I leave with you
My peace I give you
Do not let your hearts be troubled
And do not be afraid”.
Don’t be afraid
(words: J F Paterson)
Don’t be afraid
For I’ll be there
Time cannot take me away
Love never dies
And hope is here
Remember that I am the way
Water are deep
And storms come along
But I will bring you calm
Peace I give
My peace I leave
And I will keep you from harm