Be Not Afraid

The women who went to Jesus’ tomb on the first Easter heard the words, “Be Not Afraid” twice that morning, according to the account in Matthew 28. These were the same words the shepherds who were “abiding in the fields by night” heard at the time of Jesus’ birth.

I’ve tried to imagine what it would have been like to see an angel or to see Jesus alive after observing His crucifixion. Be not afraid – are you kidding me?! How could these women and these shepherds not have been afraid? After all, God created us with survival mechanisms to protect us from harm. Fear is one of them. To not be afraid at a strange site, an unusual noise, or a life-threatening situation would be abnormal.

Recently, Wheat Ridge Ministries hosted a convening of church leaders in Chicago who are trying to address violence in their communities. Just a few days later, on Easter day, we were reminded once again of the reason their efforts are so important as nine children who were playing in a Chicago park were shot by a spray of gunfire. A carefree afternoon turned, without warning, into an experience of fear and terror. 

The message to “Be Not Afraid” in the Easter Sunday Gospel lesson caused me to think about the projects seeded around the world by Wheat Ridge Ministries. I guess it would be true that these new ministries are assisting people who are afraid. The ABAN project in Ghana helps young women who were homeless and living in fear in the streets of Accra. The Noah Project in South Carolina encourages the development of respite programs for caregivers who are afraid of the toll of aging on their frail elderly loved ones and who are afraid of the effects on their own health resulting from serving as a full-time caregiver. The Bridges to Hope program in Nebraska helps men who fear the challenges of re-entering society after years in prison.

Be not afraid! These words were spoken by Christ and His angels not just to the women at the tomb, or those facing special challenges, but to all of us. What a great opportunity we have to be Gospel messengers by reminding ourselves and others that these are not a reprimand for being afraid, but words of comfort and hope. They are a reminder of Christ’s presence even as we are afraid. They remind us that the sources of our fears pale in comparison to the fullness of God’s love for us in Christ. And, they remind us that because of Christ’s Easter victory we are headed for an eternal future without fear. The apostle Paul assured us that we can “be not afraid” in these beautiful words:

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.   (Romans 8:38,39)

Christ is risen! Be not afraid! Alleluia!!