The Way of Mary: Fear no evil.

 

Image by ShaRonda Knott Dawson

Good Saturday morning, good Advent pilgrims on The Way of Mary. In 10 days we'll be getting ourselves ready for Christmas Eve services. Lots of churches still have their "youth" perform The Christmas Pageant - as if there isn't enough stress and anxiety in everyone's lives.

Thankfully, the rector and staff of my church have planned an Epiphany Pageant. Very smart. Very sensible. Way less stressful. Much more meaningful.

This morning, I was meditating on the 23rd Psalm, which was one of the favorites of so many of my Hospice patients. I have said it so often that I have it memorized and can say it as easily as The Lord's Prayer and better than the Nicene Creed.

No matter how often I say it, every now and again a phrase will jump out at me and catch the spiritual attention of my heart.

Today it was "Fear No Evil."

I would bet solid money that Mary recited or chated that psalm to herself at least a few times during the days of her pregnancy.

It's something I am finding brings me great comfort in these dark, chaotic times filled with ominous threats about Mass Deportation and Eliminating Social Security and Banning Flouride in Water and Childhood Immunizations for measles, mumps, rubella, whopping cough, and polio. (Sweet Jesus! Polio!!)

I remembered reading something Fred Buechner wrote about this phrase in, "Secrets in the Dark".

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil." The psalm does not pretend that evil and death do not exist. Terrible things happen, and they happen to good people as well as to bad people. Even the paths of righteousness lead through the valley of the shadow. Death lies ahead for all of us, saints and sinners alike, and for all the ones we love. The psalmist doesn't try to explain evil. He doesn't try to minimize evil. He simply says he will not fear evil. For all the power that evil has, it doesn't have the power to make him afraid."

And, you know, for all the bluster and testing of limits coming from the Castle de Mar-A-Largo, that's really the point: To make us afraid. Not for nothing, it is not without good cause to be afraid. If we shut down, look away, and try to ignore it, Project 2025 has a much better chance of being fulfilled

For all the power all those threats have, it does not have the power to make us afraid. I've said this before and I'll say it again: Fear and Excitement have exactly the same reaction in the body:

The heartbeat quickens and races. The body starts to perspire and may feel tingly. We may scream out and our words will be incomprehensible. Thinking can be fuzzy and unclear and difficult to focus beyond the immediate present.

It's your brain that chooses whether or not you are excited or afraid. Choose not to be afraid. Choose to consider what mighty work God has in store for us - for you - that can not be done without you. Without us working together.

In fact, I think one of the most powerful antidotes to fear is laughter. I think laughter in the face of evil is one of the greatest statements of faith. If you can laugh in the face of evil, you not only believe in God, you trust God to have ultimate power over evil. There's a reason scripture says that laughter is the best medicine. It's also good, preventative therapy.

No, I'm not suggesting that we simply laugh and walk away. That wouldn't be any better than to choose fear. I'm suggesting that we stand up, look evil straight in the eye, and laugh in its face, even as - so that we can - love mercy, do justice, and walk humbly with God.

The Way of Mary is filled with obstacles and dangers. But it is also filled with challenging opportunities that will deepen our faith and strengthen our resolve to live into our baptismal promises and make this world a better place.

The time is pregnant with possibilities to take our embryonic faith and grow into the full stature of Christ. Let's use these last ten days of Advent to nurture ourselves as a fetus in the womb of Mary and allow ourselves to be filled with her blood, rich in the oxygen, nutrients, and antibodies we need to stand up to evil.

Let us draw inspiration from the Prophet Zephaniah.

On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:

Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands grow weak.

The Lord, your God, is in your midst,
a warrior who gives victory;

he will rejoice over you with gladness,
he will renew you in his love;

he will exult over you with loud singing
as on a day of festival.

I hope something good happens to you today.

Bom dia.