Speaking of Values

Fear not Please forgive me if I seem a little pensive today. Last night we said goodbye to Brock, our son-in-law, who is leaving for his third tour of Army duty in Iraq, and today I’m feeling ... well, I’m not exactly sure what I’m feeling. Sadness? Yes, I’m feeling that. Brock has become an important part of our family and I’m going to miss him — no doubt about it. But it’s more than just that. There’s anxiety involved. Trepidation, too. Brock is going to a scary place. I’m worried about his safety and I’m concerned about his well-being. I’m troubled. I’m frightened. I’m afraid. Yes, that’s it: fear. That’s what I’m feeling. Fear, pure and simple. Brock is going to be in harm’s way for the next year, and I’m afraid — for him, for my daughter, for my granddaughter. And for me. Please don’t misunderstand. I’m proud of him. He’s a good man and he’s doing something in which he profoundly believes. He understands the risks, and while he isn’t exactly excited to go — again — he goes willingly. Honorably. And in my view, at least, heroically. Still, I’m afraid. Partly because I’m not nearly as brave and courageous as Brock is. And partly because I’m human, and humans feel fear — some of us more than others. God knows and understands that. So do His angels. That’s probably why the first thing angelic visitors say when encountering mortal human beings here on earth is: “Fear not.” You can look it up. That’s the first thing the angel said to Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist. It’s also the first thing the angel Gabriel said to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the first thing the angels said to the shepherds who were “abiding in their fields” that first Christmas night. In each of those cases, I think there’s a double-meaning to the words, “Fear not.” Of course, the first meaning was immediate, and had to do with the fact that those folks were seeing an angel and might be inclined to freak out a little. So the angel says, “It’s OK. You don’t need to be afraid. I’m not going to hurt you.” But the deeper meaning had to do with the thing the angel was there to announce, which would lead to the elimination of fear — forever. This time of year we think of a time when a woman called Mary Magdalene stood outside an empty garden tomb. When you consider all that she had seen and experienced during the previous few days, it is only natural that she was troubled, concerned and, yes, afraid. So it’s all the more remarkable that the first words out of the angel’s mouth that first Easter morning were those two simple words we’ve been talking about: “Fear not.” This time, I think, the words were all about their deeper meaning. Because of what had just taken place, “fear not.” Because the tomb was empty, “fear not.” Because of Easter, “fear not” — not today, not tomorrow, not ever. It’s a powerful message, especially at a time when fear seems to have us by the throat. War, disease, natural disasters, global warming, March Madness.. everywhere you look there is something about which to worry. And worry can be a good thing, I guess, if it motivates us to positive action in our lives and in the lives of others. But fear paralyzes. It freezes us. It makes us stop what we’re doing, curl up in a little ball and hide. And so the message of Easter is simple: “fear not.” No matter what is happening in our lives or in the world around us, “fear not.” Do what needs to be done. Respond to issues and circumstances as they arise. Change the world, if need be. But “fear not.” War-bound sons-in-law notwithstanding.