"Be Not Afraid"
could be a legitimate substitution
for "Merry Christmas."
+ Scott Erickson,
Honest Advent:
Awakening to the Wonder
of God-with-Us
Then, Here, and Now
Below is a written excerpt by Erickson from the last chapter of Honest Advent that shares why "Be Not Afraid" is an invitation into the wonder of what "Merry Christmas" can mean as we finish Advent, waiting and anticipating with wonder and curiosity.
"Be Not Afraid" is a Legitimate Substitute for "Merry Christmas"
The command, "Be not afraid,"
kicked off the first message spoken
after four hundred years of divine silence.
It was directed to Zechariah
as he learned of
the upcoming birth of his son,
John the Baptizer
(Luke 1:13).
It was said to Mary
as she received the message
that she would be bearing the Savior
through her virgin womb
(Luke 1:30).
It was spoken to Joseph
as he pondered quietly
divorcing his betrothed
for her seemingly adulterous pregnancy
It was sung to the shepherds
as they were hired to be the first
incarnation preachers
in the coming Kingdom
(Luke 2:10-11).
And it is announced to you today
as you celebrate this historical moment
that is still happening in your midst.
"Be not afraid" is an awakening that God is real.
That the hidden, much larger spiritual realm is really there ... And you're left in the weighty space of not knowing what to think anymore.
A message from the Divine must start with "Be not afraid" because it is shattering the security you've found in limited conclusions:
Existence is a curse to endure.
Our bodies are just flawed meatsuits
full of disappointment.
Divine encounters only happen
with worthy saints
on mountaintops in sacred places.
The Almighty can't wait
to be wrathful toward all
the sinful malarkey
taking place on this earth.
We deserve to be left out
because of our glaring inability
to be faithful.
 |
| "Be Not Afraid" (Luke 2:10-11) Moment by Shin Maeng at shinhappen.com |
"Be Not Afraid." Love Has Drawn Near.
And yet the messengers who "stand in the presence of God" (Luke 1:19) are astonished by our limited conclusions, for their message is a proclamation of good news:
that existence, in all its seeming absurdity,
is not a curse to endure
but the very gift that
the Giver of existence wants you
to receive and participate in
that it's good to be in your body,
for all kinds of miracles
happen through it
that divine encounters happen
in the humblest of places,
like at your job,
in your kitchen,
in the headspace
of making hard decisions
that the Almighty
didn't enter the world
as a judgmental titan
set on condemning it
but as a loving participant
whose ultimate work of healing
came through His ultimate loving participation
that Love is intentionally inclusive
of Its restoration invitation of all things
and isn't worried about not accomplishing
what It has set out to do
Maybe the place we experience God-with-Us today is in the very fears we have about our own lives, our own world, our own future. The fears that keep us from believing that anything can be different. The fears that make the silence of the Divine feel like centuries have passed. The fears that we are here all on our own. The fears we will be holding at our upcoming angelic visit.
Today, let our fears be the starting place of divine connection, because if a messenger from heaven were to show up with an announcement of good tidings of great joy, a message that will change everything, historically that proclamation would begin with the greeting "Be Not Afraid" — or, the way we say it today, "Merry Christmas."
May you be not afraid,
for Love has drawn near.
 |
| "Be Not Afraid" by Scott Erickson |
Amen to that!
Love has drawn near and
this perfect Love drives out all fear
Receive Him.
He is good, faithful, and true to you.
Here are links to other recent Advent articles:
Immanuel: God Present with Us, for Us; The Bold & Courageous 1st Advent Hymn; My Honest Advent; Advent Films Reflections: A Quiet Place, Arrival, Children of Men, Joyeux Noel; Praying with Mary and Jesus; Making Room for Limits; Making Room for Outsiders; Experience God-with-Us Today in Your Fears; Waiting is the Womb in Which We Are Formed; Christ with Shopping Bags or Generous Christ?; Advent Film Series Reflection: All the Light We Cannot See; When We're Afraid, God Pursues; He Is Not One to Leave Us Hurting; The Good News About Our Bad News; A Season of Decrease; There is Great Joy in Our Darkest Hours; In the Wilderness with the One Who Is Wilder; A Courageous Response
Blessings of peace and presence,
Rev. Mike “Sully” Sullivan
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