Don´t Be Scared!

Because they all saw him and were terrified.  Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I.  Don´t be afraid,”  Mark 6:50 (TNIV)

Jesus appears on the scene.  When He moves into the conscious awareness amazing things happen.  Now it appears to be more and more remote of a thought, that we should be overly preoccupied with the presence of Jesus.  In many churches worshipping the Lord has become a routine of religious exercises and lofty whims.  Or perhaps we like exciting definitions or interesting intellectual discourse on our favorite texts.  Fewer and fewer people seem to go to church to actually encounter any real presence from beyond.  We file in, go through the routine.  We play our role to the letter.  When service is over, we file back out with smiles and warm wishes to those around, and then we are off to go about our ways until the next meeting.

On the outside, it seems that we are good healthy Christians.  On the inside, deep within the souls of each person though, what is going on?  Is this space full of cattle-like actions we go through as well?  We can continue along the lines of little resistance, little expectations and little gain throughout an entire lifetime.

But the Jesus found in the Holy Scriptures is not like that.  The Jesus Who came on a mission from the Father, to save our entire race, is not reduced to lofty thoughts, whims, wishes and routines.  He is not found in rituals, special buildings, or by learning perfectly the concepts from written text.  He is an entity like none other.  He has a higher purpose.  He works on a level that makes all the size, space and time of our galaxies look small.  He is the very beloved and only Son of God the Father.  Although He concerns Himself with us, He does so by choice.  Our worth is in the fact that He cares for us, and is moved to action to express that love.  Therefore, we find ourselves in the peculiar position of needing to approach Him in a very real sense of the word.

There is a Being which all mankind must find their true relation to.  Only direct contact, experience and relationship can make two entities relate to each other.  They must actually know each other.   This means that when we approach religion, it should be to find there an actual encounter with the God we claim to believe in.

No amount of lower actions, or wishful thinking, are going to accomplish much for us in coming into the presence of the Divine.  We need to get past all the external religious activity and theories and each one seek that Presence in all honesty.  We need to seek in such a way that there begins to be some real finding.  We need to stop toying with our faith, step out upon the things we boast, and start learning what it means to find that One to whom we belong.

When we do, once we have pressed further past all the superficial, then and only then will the true vision of Who Jesus Is, will come into view.  We will be able to see Him for His size and might.  This is scary stuff, to be stripped of all our shallow ideals, but it is a glorious sight and we surely will be left undone.  But to those who go that far, Jesus´ words will come again; “Take courage!  It is I.  Don´t be afraid,”

Dear Jesus, it may scare us to look past all that we know and are comfortable with.  But some of us are not satisfied with a cold and distant religion.  We would have You.  We come seeking Your presence.  Only You can bring us home to the Father. Send us courage that we may proceed fearlessly in our vision of and relationship with You.

Amen