Vanquishing Fear - January 7
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 103; PM Psalm 114, 115 ; Isa. 52:3-6; Rev. 2:1-7; John 2:1-11
I find today’s readings incredibly hopeful following one bizarre and unsettling day in the history of our nation. To set up today’s story in light of the liturgical seasons that shape our faith tradition, I need to go back to yesterday.
On the feast of Epiphany (January 6), we so often focus on the journey of the Magi that come from the East bearing gifts to the Christ child. But that is only part of the story. At the time of Jesus’ birth, a man named Herod is afraid of losing power. He hears the prophecy of a king being born who will replace him. With the fear of losing everything tormenting his ego and desire for power, Herod plots to kill all of the children who are to be born. The Magi know this. The text in the Gospel of Matthew says, “And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road” (Matthew 2:12).
I share this because to me, I think living out our Christian faith is always risky. To truly love our enemy, to care for the prisoner, to feed the hungry, to empower the powerless, to give voice to the marginalized always comes at a cost. Yesterday’s story is not new. It is the timeless tale of what happens when we fear losing power. It may come as a surprise to many of us because our commitment to love each other and a humility that is often shaped by faith and love allow us to vanquish that fear. In an ideal world, we don’t fear those who think, look, or act differently than us because of an undergirding ethic to love those people as we love ourselves (The Great Commandment) even when we disagree.
When fear replaces love and a commitment to respect the dignity of each other, the end result is always violence. This is the path of fear. The reason Jesus is so radical is the power of love to vanquish all fear (end of violence) and it is the love that we as Christians seek to embody in the world. Which is why I find the readings for today so hopeful.
Today’s Gospel is the miracle at a wedding in Cana of Galilee, the story of Jesus turning water into wine. But like most stories, something else is taking place. You might recall that in every Gospel except John, there is a story of Jesus holding wine and saying, “This is my blood. Drink this in remembrance of me.” But not John! And to think, John was written all those years after the other Gospels. Why would the author leave out that important story!
Well, what some people think is what you have read today is actually part of an Ancient Eucharistic liturgy. The story of Cana is not about a wedding but the Eucharist. Water is actually something else. It is the great mystery of the faith. How can bread and wine be God? How can what is right before our eyes be so sacred and so special? But that’s what Jesus does, not on a Sunday morning, but the real mystery of the faith is learning that everything is sacred. To believe is to see what is ordinary becoming something extraordinary. That cup of water could be wine. That angry man over there could be (actually is) a beloved child of God.
What does this have to do with our current state of affairs as a nation? If we know that God is a part of everything, we do not need to be afraid. And this is an important clarification – we must denounce the stoking of violence and hatred of other that have fueled the flames of our state of affairs. But a confidence in God’s reign because we know that God is a part of everything and everyone, keeps us from perpetuating the cycle of violence. It keeps us from being afraid. Because regardless of where you stand on political lines or theological lines, if we believe that God is above all else, then what really do we have to fear?
Faithfully,
John+
Questions for Self-Reflection: How has your faith shaped your understanding of the stories of yesterday?
Daily Challenge: Julian of Norwich, who survived an uprising and pandemic, was famous for her prayer, “All shall be well, all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.” Try this prayer today when worry seems to take over.