Wednesday, October 28, 2026

“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin[b]? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” (Matthew 10: 28 -31, New Living Translation)

                Hallowe’en is a-coming. Ghosts and goblins and things that go bump in the night will soon be knocking at our doors. All manner of horrors and nightmares. Well, maybe a  few princesses and super heroes, an occasional Mario or Luigi, but the night is for haunting and spookery. “Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day.” (Psalm 91:5)

                Hallowe’en costumes aside, I am concerned that we are living in fearful and frightening times. We can’t dress up and hide. Our eyes and ears are filled with the daily cacophony of horrifying news, of values turned upside down and inside out, e.g. calling Vladimir Putin “a humanitarian.” (??!!) There are times when I feel that the world is going to hell in a handbasket. Who needs monsters when we have some of the horrendous world leaders we are dealing with these days? Recent election issues have been about affordability, homelessness, jobs, poverty, the high cost of living. Wars abound with ceasing.  Artificial Intelligence is a life-changing threat. Boo! Have you pulled the covers over your head yet?

                I hear Jesus telling us, “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’” (Matthew 6:31) But that is easier said than done. It is very easy to feel powerless and vulnerable these days. It feels like the world is running amok. Satan is doing his worst.  As I was driving, yesterday, here in the city, I noticed a poster taped to a street light pole that said “Jesus is coming soon.” I confess that I said a little prayer, “Please Lord, soon would be just fine…”

                In the meanwhile, our faith in God is still the best answer to our fears, worries, concerns and anxieties. “The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?” (Psalm 27:1) I don’t mean to be facile or naïve. Jesus did tell us to be as “shrewd as snakes” as we cope with the world we live in.  But just wringing our hands is not going to help us to live and thrive in a messy world. God has given us some worthy, constant, trustworthy values through which we are able to maintain a faithful equilibrium in the midst of turmoil and fear, two of Satan’s most terrible weapons. With God’s help we are enabled to refuse to listen to the lies the world tells us, resist the temptation to give up hope, and enlist the Love of God in Jesus Christ to thwart and overcome all manners of Evil and Sin. “Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.” (Romans 12:21)

                “But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.” (Psalm 56: 3)  There are times when I might wonder “What is God doing?” or “Why is God allowing these things come to pass?”  I don’t know God’s plans but as Paul once wrote, “I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.” (2 Timothy 1:12) Am I absolutely consistent in that trust? No!  But I also deeply understand that keeping centred in Jesus Christ will lead me through even the darkest valley.  It is when I look to Jesus Christ that he gives me assurance and confidence to put one foot in front of the other if the way is rocky. “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” (John 14:27)    

    And though this world, with devils filled,
    should threaten to undo us,
    we will not fear, for God has willed
    his truth to triumph through us.
    The prince of darkness grim,
    we tremble not for him;
    his rage we can endure,
    for lo! his doom is sure;
    one little word shall fell him. (3rd verse, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, Martin Luther)

 Prayer:

O God, our Rock and Fortress, strengthen our trust in you. Help us to see your Light even in the darkest of circumstances. Calm our fears. Ease our anxiety. Speak to our worries. Build our confidence in Jesus Christ who is our assurance and our peace and our hope. In his name we pray, amen.