FREE OUR COMMUNITIES FROM FEAR
The Christian sources present Jesus as being dedicated to free people from fear. It pained him to see people terrorized by the power of Rome, intimidated by the threats of the teachers of the law, distanced from God by fear of God’s wrath, made guilty by their lack of faithfulness to the law. From his heart, full of God, there was only able to spring forth a desire: «Don’t be afraid». They are words of Jesus that get repeated over and over in the Gospels. Words that ought to be repeated more even today in his Church.
Fear takes hold of us when mistrust, insecurity or lack of inner freedom grows in our heart. This fear is the central problem of human beings, and we can only free ourselves from it by basing our life on a God who only seeks our well-being.
That’s how Jesus saw it. That’s why he dedicated himself, more than anything, to awaken trust in the heart of people. His deep and simple faith was contagious: if God takes care of the sparrows of the fields, the smallest birds in Galilee, with so much tenderness, how is God not going to take care of you? For God you are more important and dear than all the birds in the sky. A Christian of the first generation grasped well his message: «Place all your burden on God, because God is interested in your well-being».
How strongly Jesus spoke to each sick person: «Have faith. God hasn’t forgotten you». With what joy he dismisses them when he was able to heal them: «Go in peace. Be well». It was his great desire. That people would live in peace, without fear or distress: «Don’t judge one another, don’t condemn each other, don’t cause damage. Live lovingly».
How many fears cause people to suffer secretly. Fear causes damage, much damage. Where fear grows, the vision of God gets lost and the goodness that lies in the heart of people drowns. Life goes out, joy disappears.
A community of Jesus’ followers must be, before many other things, a place where people are freed of their fears and learn to live, trusting in God. A community where contagious peace is breathed and an endearing friendship lives that makes it possible to hear today Jesus’ call: «Don’t be afraid».
José Antonio Pagola
Translator: Fr. Jay VonHandorf
