I heard somewhere that the phrase “do not be afraid” appears
365 times in the Bible. I have not
confirmed this fact, so I can’t say definitively that it’s true, but I like the
idea. And a quick search of an online
Bible does prove that the phrase appears quite often. The Book of Joshua is one of my favorite Old
Testament texts because the Israelites were confused, afraid, and homeless, but
God continues to remind the newbie leader Joshua to fear not and trust in God’s provision. I’ll bet Joshua was quaking in his sandals at
the thought of leading a ragged band of road-weary Israelites into the Promised
Land. And I’ll bet he got some funny
looks when he told them the way to defeat Jericho was to march around the walls
of the city until Jericho fell. “Do not
be afraid” was at the forefront of Joshua’s leadership. It was practically his motto. And we can learn a lot from this command.
I confess that I haven’t spent a lot of time in the Book of
Nehemiah. It’s one of those little Old
Testament books that is lost in a forest of other little Old Testament
books. It’s easy to miss. But Nehemiah has a lot to teach us as
well. His great “commission,” you might
call it, is to rebuild Jerusalem for the Jews.
Despite opposition from some very powerful tribes (Philistines,
Ammonites, and others), Nehemiah successfully rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem in
just over 50 days. It wasn’t an easy
endeavor. Israel prayed continually and
arranged armed guards day and night around the perimeter. In Chapter 4, which documents the rebuilding
process, the people realized this: “The strength of those who
bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not
be able to rebuild the wall.”
The task looked impossible. The
odds were against them. They were
probably exhausted, worried, and fearful.
The people of Israel needed to pull together to finish the task. And pull together they did. Nehemiah recounts his next plan: “So in the lowest parts of the space behind
the wall, in open places, I stationed the people by their clans, with their
swords, their spears, and their bows. And
I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest
of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and
awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives,
and your homes.” Stick together, he says. Clasp hands and keep working. Don’t quit now.
Imagine what would have happened if Israel
had succumbed to their fear and frustration.
They might have failed to make a working plan. They might have been overtaken by their
enemies when they weren’t looking. They
might have quit altogether. But they
didn’t. “Do not be afraid,” said Nehemiah.
Why? Because fear paralyzes. Fear locks our thoughts in a loop of
panic. It locks our feet to the ground. Fear leads to inaction. Some amount of fear is healthy. Fear of failing can motivate a student to
study hard for a final exam. Fear can
protect us from doing something dangerous or unhealthy. But fear that becomes rooted, fear that doesn’t
promote action, is crippling.
I’m grateful for the news stories that are
emerging that highlight acts of heroism in the wake of Boston’s tragedy. Stories of average citizens springing into action
to carry people to safety, bystanders staunching wounds with tourniquets
fashioned from T-shirts, or strangers simply comforting others in the midst of
chaos. This is community. This is the church body. Action defines both. Nehemiah did not take for granted the danger
that loomed. He had a plan. He said, “When
our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their
plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work. From that day on, half of my servants worked
on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail.
And the leaders stood behind the whole house of Judah, who were building on the wall. Those who
carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with
one hand and held his weapon with the other. And each of the builders had his sword
strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside
me. And
I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, ‘The
work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall, far from one
another. In the place where you hear the sound of
the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.’” There was some serious
multi-tasking going on! This was not a
group paralyzed by fear. They didn’t
ignore the fear, but they also didn’t ignore the work they set out to do. Their fear perhaps even pushed them to work
harder, keep a vigilant eye open for danger, and made their task even more urgent. And their fear perhaps solidified their
community even more.
The Israelites kept one thought at the
front of their mind during this time.
Nehemiah implored that they “Remember
the Lord, who is great and awesome….Our God will fight for us.” Their action and focus kept Israel from becoming
proverbial “deer in the headlights.”
They kept their eyes on God and their feet and minds working.
Even the most terrible darkness cannot snuff
out the light. Even the smallest flame
will dispel darkness. This is what I
hope I will remember when I encounter darkness in all its forms, from national
tragedies to the smallest personal struggles.
The Apostle Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 4 this: “For
God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to
give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” We carry God’s light within us, and we
can carry that light wherever we go, whether that is rushing into the smoke
created by a detonated bomb, the hunger of a homeless man in need of a meal, or
the suffering of a friend who has just had a bad week.
I offer prayers of healing for all those in
the midst of tragedy, and prayers of thanksgiving for all of those who choose
to carry light into darkness.
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