Advent 23

The Fourth Tuesday of Advent, December 23, 2008

Isaiah 11:10-16 

Ephraim’s jealousy shall vanish, and Judah’s enmity shall be done away.  Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah, nor Judah the enemy of Ephraim. 

These two nation-states are brothers, the two parts of the broken nation of Israel.  They are jealous of each other, afraid of each other.  Periodically they even fight each other. 

Fear is a terrible and powerful master.  It is also an effective tool, frequently used by individuals and politicians to get a fearful people to support unwise, even un-Christlike, policies.  Fear knows no prejudice, moving in among men and women, rich and poor, churched and unchurched, racial majorities and minorities, young and old.  Fear, if not actually a sin, causes most of our sins—war, injustice, greed.  Fear keeps nations from talking, keeps neighbors from talking.    

The cafeteria manager at the small school where I taught was a tyrant, intimidating students and staff alike.  “Stop that Spanish right now,” she would snap at Mexican girls in the lunch line, and they would stop instantly.  A look from her could wither a noisy sixth grade boy.  One day my son found me, told me that this woman had bawled him out for cutting in line.  “Mom,” Nathan said, “I was in line all along.  I never cut.” 

I was afraid of this woman, too; but I was not about to let my son down.  I went to the cafeteria, walked up to the table where she was taking lunch money, and waited, my heart pounding.  At a break in the line she turned to me.  “Yes,” she said.  “Is there a problem with my son?” I asked, looking into her eyes with more confidence than I felt.  I didn’t blink.  I looked deep into the eyes of this bully of school children. 

Do you know what I saw?  Fear.  Hers.  “No, not at all,” she chuckled nervously.  I said that I was glad and walked back to my classroom, trembling but enlightened. Those who threaten us, those who deliberately use fear to stay on top, are themselves afraid.  The answer to dealing with the fear in us is to stop running, stop hiding, and face our old enemy; ask him/her, “Is there a problem?” 

Coming soon is one who promises to stand with us when we dare to face fear.  He will face all the fears we have ever known, including torture and death, as an example; but after He overcomes fear and death, He will be our constant companion.  What we cannot face alone, we can face with Him.