A reflection by L.J. Milone, Director of Faith Formation
Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle
L.J. shares the following reflection on Sunday's reading from the Gospel according to Luke:
The world is a scary place these days. Between all-too-prevalent gun violence and climate change, I find myself reeling. Then, there’s all the fear-mongering coming from certain politicians. It is enough to make me terrified. I experience great comfort and relief, therefore, when I hear Jesus say, “Do not be afraid.”
I think "Do not be afraid" may be one of the most common lines in the whole Bible. It may be so prevalent in our scriptures because it is a message we need to hear constantly since we humans tend to fear a lot of things, especially God. Only, there is nothing to fear from God. There is no wrath or punishment in God. Christianity has not been very good at communicating God’s love without a tinge of fear. This fear jeopardizes both the Gospel and the message of the Christian mystics, our essential oneness with God. Why would we want to be one with a God who is angry, vengeful, and punishing? Jesus opposes this fear-inducing image of God with a clear, simple announcement: “Do not be afraid.”
When we perceive reality from a stance of fear, we cannot help but create divisions. A mind of fear is a mind that divides reality into the good and the bad. It is a mind warped by blame and accusation. Only fearful people can believe violence, war, and “strength” will ever solve any problem. None of these things will ever overcome death. None of them will ever convince us God is real and that God is utterly one with us. We have to trust Jesus when he says, “Do not be afraid.” Even in the face of terrible realities like war and mass shootings, there is nothing to fear. Jesus tells us not to fear because “the Father is pleased to give us the kingdom.” In other words, we have nothing to fear because God is with us, within us, and one with us.
If we need some extra comfort in the face of death, I suggest reading about the phenomenon of near-death experiences. We will find a body of immensely consoling literature. There are millions of people who have died clinically, yet have returned to life. They come back with amazing stories of meeting a God of love in addition to their deceased family, friends, and even religious figures. People of all faiths, or no faith, as well as people from every culture report remarkably similar experiences. Their main point is to tell us death is not the end. The life of heaven awaits us and the God of mercy is more real than we know. In other words, Jesus' message is true. There is nothing to fear.
In today's Gospel, Jesus has another great line: "where your treasure is, there also will your heart be." This is another fundamental message of the whole Bible. We become what we worship. Our focus determines our reality. Ilia Delio says, “Where our minds focus, there our treasure lies.” If we focus on our fears, we live reactionary lives. Even more, we become filled with fear. We try to make others afraid. There are few easier ways to manipulate throngs of people than by scaring them. If we feel threatened, we'll do anything and follow anyone who promises to rescue us.
If we focus on fear, reality becomes threatening. If we focus on the God of mercy, we see reality as it is. All existence is imbued through and through with the incomprehensible love of God. If our hearts center on the Holy Mystery of God, we see there is no reason to be afraid. Grounded in divine mercy we become fearless, present, free, and merciful. We become what we worship. If we treasure God in our hearts and minds, then through divine grace we become God. There is nothing to fear when we know the God revealed to us in Jesus Christ.