“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:

‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent‘

“Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jew a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

1 Corinthians 1: 18 – 25

Recently, our church lost a beloved sister. She was kind. And loved to quilt. She knew she was going to die. Literally, waited for the moment to come. From her diagnosis to death was a few quick months. Not enough time to finish all the projects, say all the words, enjoy all the relationships. But it was enough time for her to face her eternity with a fearless heart. Because people who fear God, fear nothing else.

Recently, I witnessed in dismay as men clung to a plane only to find safety in letting go to their certain death. They were escaping a worse fate than their deaths from an accelerating plane. There was no time to process what they were doing for fear of what was happening sent them into desperation. Because people who do not fear God, fear everything else.

Recently, my state reinstated mandates to slow the rise of cases of a new variant, a new sickness. I may not know of people who have died, but I know of those who have been sick or who had family and friends die. I have seen family and friends lose relationships over masks and vaccines. I have seen kind people turn angry in a heartbeat over masks and vaccines. I have seen communities take stands as if going to war over masks and vaccines. Because people who do not fear God, fear death.

The news and political analysts and health experts are full of dread reporting on the latest woe. And they dutifully and assuredly tell us all whom we should blame. On Facebook or Instagram or YouTube, if I miss it, my friends will let me know who I need to be angry with, who I should demonize and crucify.

It is always easier to blame and kill than forgive and heal.

And we give blame away the way Christ gave love away.

I don’t know what Jesus would do with regards to the vaccine or a mask or political situations or a receiving a deadly diagnosis or any situation we find ourselves in. But I do know what he did.

He visited the sick and touched them with no regard for his own health.

He walked with the poor and fed them with no regard for his own hunger.

He talked with the sinners and forgave them with no regard for his own honor.

He rebuked the proud and died for them with no regard for his own humility.

He did not go to the doctors or the politicians or the influencers or the experts to decide what to do. He touched, he fed, he forgave, he died.

And rose again. Lungs expand, heart pumps, fingers flex, legs walk.

Alive.

In this world where we are so fearful of dying, we have forgotten how to live. We have forgotten how to extend Grace. We have forgotten how to be merciful. We have forgotten how to love.  We have forgotten the God, who is HESED, loving kindness and merciful grace and justice.

Evil exists and always has. Evils exit and always will. Till Christ comes. Then, woe to the evil and evils that plague men and women finding their way in this time, this space. But until then, we either fear God or fear everything else.

Death exists and has since the time man thought he could fear nothing, not even God. Death will exist until Christ comes. Then, woe to that death that has claimed the courageous and coward alike in this space, this time. But until then, we either fear God or fear death.

Given that evil and evils exist and given that death exists, at least for a time, how then shall we live? What, then, shall we fear?

Visit friends and family whether healthy or sick, particularly sick. Walk with those who are poor whether by their own doing or someone else’s. Talk with the sinners because you are one as well. Rebuke your own pride for your own pride will breed anger and hate within you. Give grace to the “other” and extend mercy to those you can’t stand, to those whom you disagree with.

Love with arms serving, feet walking, words speaking life. Love actively alive.

Honestly, I believe C. S. Lewis said it best years ago when the atom split and a war was decided by blasts of raw energy.

“In one way we think a deal too much of the atomic bomb. How are we to live in an atomic age? I am tempted to reply: Why, as you would have lived in the sixteenth century when the plague visited London almost every year, or as you would have lived in a Viking age when raiders from Scandinavia might land and cut your throat any night, or indeed, as you are living in an age of cancer, an age of syphilis, an age of paralysis, an age of air raids, an age of railway accidents, an age of motor accidents.

“In other words, do not let us begin by exaggerating the novelty of our situation. Believe me, dear sir or madam, you and all whom you love were already sentenced to death before the atomic bomb was invented: and quite a high percentage of us were going to die in unpleasant ways.

“We had, indeed, one very great advantage over our ancestors – anesthetics, but we have that still. It is perfectly ridiculous to go about whimpering and drawing long faces because the scientists have added one more chance of painful and premature death to a world which already bristled with such chances… and in which death itself was not a chance at all, but a certainty.

“This is the first point to be made: and the first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together. If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things – praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts – not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.”

THEY NEED NOT DOMINATE OUR MINDS.

People who fear God, fear absolutely nothing else.

People who do not fear God, fear absolutely everything else, especially death.

Let the world find us praying, reading, working, loving, visiting friends, being kind to strangers, taking care of our children, creating beauty, giving GRACE… even when variants change and war rages and politicians rant and tempers flare. Let God find us reflecting His nature.

In my corner, I will work (please give me grace as I fail so often) to actively love my neighbor, my family, my friends, my enemies. My door is open to you, my friend, masked or unmasked, vaccinated or unvaccinated, citizen or refugee, sinner or saint.

Let us learn how to fear God together.

Pictures taken from the Albuquerque Zoo. I had the great honor of taking two of my own children and a niece and nephew to visit wildlife and hear a story or two. One story was that of a cat who, in the wild, would live no longer than 7 or 8 years. She was reaching 19. Care and attention extended her life. Would that we could learn this lesson. Take care, my friends.