Dear All of Us,
Here in the
USA
and in
sadly many much
peoples and places
worldwide,
today's
"as is"
is
too much
for too many:
economic
uncertainty,
polarized
poisoned
politics,
a Demolition Derby
of democracy,
the rule of law
ruled out,
riots,
genocides,
wars and famines,
mass shootings,
authoritarianism,
dictators,
rude, crude behaviors,
scapegoating immigrants,
workers displaced by AI,
robots with union cards
(so to chatbot),
traditional morals trashed,
religions not knowing
what to do and
surely not doing it,
truth twisted
unreal and unreliable,
abused atmosphere and
earth retching dangerous,
justice not equal
at all
for all
if at all
In reaction
people feel
thrown under
the bus.
They slide
into depression,
twitch in anxiety,
curl up in cocoons
of worry, anger,
dread, denial.
Others spin
their wheels in
frenetic activity,
tilting at windmills
in bothered dithering.
Some do the opposite,
becoming inert
and uninvolved.
Underneath it all is
disturbing, disabling
dark, dangerous
FEAR
ENTER
With a distinctive
New York accent,
yarmulke askew,
here comes
Jewish Jesus
saying to our
fear fraught world,
"Not to worry already".
With all due respect
we want to say
(shout?) back,
"So, Jesus, please take
another look already!"
A bit more formally,
Jesus responds,
"FEAR NOT"
as he did about
forty-four times
in the Gospels.
Say what?
Well, Jesus is
not denying
that there are
monumental
hurdles and hurts,
cavernous, consuming
sinkholes in life.
Concern and action
clearly called for
and that
for sure
but
fear
in
facing them,
NO WAY!
Fear is wasted psychic
and spiritual energy.
Fear achieves
nothing good and
damages deeply.
It eats up all
the attention
and effort
needed for
right now,
right here,
real life
in the
midst of
worldwide,
chaotic,
unrealness.
On top of that
fear syphons off
the energy needed
to counter
those terribly
concerning
hurdles, hurts,
and sinkholes.
We may have
tons of troubles,
suffer terrible
conditions,
but not an
ounce of those
tons of troubles
is us.
We may be
painfully
pushed
down
but
we are
NEVER
EVER
OUT!
Jesus says
FEAR NOT
Why? How?
In all reality,
make that
REALITY,
we are not
our troubles
and
conditions,
as hugely
concerning
as they are.
We are of God.
Conditions
can cripple
us and society
in a lot of ways
but
Our God Core
is
indestructible.
Jesus is saying that
and that we are
not abandoned.
He is with us.
Jesus assures us,
he urges us to
Trust Him
to endure
and
together
work through.
Upset,
stressed,
stretched
yes
but
FEAR NOT
In so doing
we will suffer.
Jesus did.
Women birthing do.
Farm workers do.
Life giving is like that
and all the more so
in today's societal
Death Valley.
Our troubles
and
conditions
may take away
all we have,
never who we are
and whose we are.
That's forever solid.
That's oneness in
Forever Life
God's in us.
FEAR NOT
So, we companion
each other in our
troubles to tragedies.
We get in tight
with those cut out of
advantage and security.
We bring love,
ours
one in God's,
to bare
on social evils
and help the hurt
as and where
we can.
In the meantime it's
Trustime,
all the time.
FEAR NOT
That means
we experience
mutual indwelling
with God.
It's more intimate
than the most perfect
human union
multiplied by
divine endless.
As Jesus puts it:
" I am the vine;
you are
the branches.
John 15:5
Shared Oneness.
What is us
is God shared.
We are God
branched out-
Vine and Branch.
Our core is
indestructible.
Fear Not
We've heard
all this before,
or have we?
As simply
and deeply
as possible,
let's listen as
"Cor ad cor
loquitor",
"Heart speaks
to heart"
God's, ours,
each other's.
"As the Father
has loved me,
so I have loved you.
Remain in my love."
John 15:9
That's one heaven
of a lot of love.
In fact, it is
Love Itself.
What a way
to be,
to remain,
no matter
the mess
outside
and all about.
Deal with it,
count on
GodLove
and
FEAR NOT
"For this reason
I say to you...
do not be worried
about your life.
Look at the birds
of the air,...
your heavenly Father
cares for them.
Are you not worth
much more than they?'
In Mathew 7:1-23
Jesus assures us
in many ways
that we are in
His Care
Secured.
That's not ouchless
but that
GodCare
is certain.
FEAR NOT
When the bottom falls out,
when the walls cave in,
it hurts like hell,
it feels like all is lost
and that in a bad ending.
But it never is the end
because God has our back,
is our base, our forever:
"Fear not, little flock,
for your Father
has been pleased
to give you
the kingdom."
Luke 12:32
We're family,
God and us all
altogether,
right now,
never stopping.
FEAR NOT
Paul lived
a beautiful life
in an ugly society.
He suffered
truckloads
of troubles.
He kept on truck'n.
May ours be his
spirit and witness
to Timothy:
"The Lord
will rescue me
from every
evil attack
and will bring
me safely to his
heavenly kingdom.
To him be glory
for ever and ever.
Amen"
2 Timothy 4:18
FEAR NOT
Jesus is assuring us
that for all the
evil and pain
right now
we don't need
to take an
early retirement
from full torque life,
off in a cabin
all by itself
in outer Mongolia.
Equivalently
Jesus empowers us
to stick around,
to stick to it.
FEAR NOT
Given our givens
these days of
crumbling,
danger,
destruction,
destabilization,
we do well to be
deep embedded
in for real
spiritual
community.
Things look to get
way more undone.
We need others.
Others need us.
"Where two or three
are gather in my name,
I am in their midst."
Matthew 18:20
FEAR NOT
Given our givens
of rush and busy,
we do well
to go apart,
close the door
on all our
hurry scurry,
be Abba embraced
and soak in
these scriptures.
Better yet,
let them sink in,
all the way in
so that we
live a yes
as Jesus
empowers us
to
FEAR NOT
******
FURTHERENCE
For those who wish
to pray/ponder more
over all this in the
days and nights
to come:
- Where are we in
actually, practically
trusting God
personally
and in
community?
- What "conditions"
impact us
right now
threatening fear?
- Just how open are we
to being strengthened
in community?
- How and what
are we doing to
strengthen others?
- How can we
Live A Yes
trusting God?
- What can we do locally
to support the
knocked down?
- Who are some people
and where are some places
we can pray for as they
suffer terrible "conditions"
just now?
******
SO GOOD TO BE
IN COMMUNITY
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Thank You
for
sharing
frankly speaking
with others
See you next week.
Praying us all the best.
Love to all.
God Bless,
John Frank
"When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you."
Ps 56:3
frankly speaking
spirituality for the street
johnfrankshares.blogspot.com
******
