Friday, November 15, 2013

THERE IS NO FEAR IN LOVE

Good morning, Beloved. For a long time I found the scripture "There is no fear in love. But perfect love casts out fear . . ." from I John 4:18a) very confusing. It just didn't make sense.

The rest of the verse didn't help that much either -- " . . . because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." Fear and insecurity were rife in my life. I thought of God as benevolent, but did not know God's love in deep-down, personal ways.

Digging deeper into the Bible to try to understand the passage, I saw that the whole thought is contained in 1 John 4:17-18, and I like the way it is portrayed in Eugene Peterson's rendition of the Bible called "The Message" -- "God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love."

But God is so good and so faithful. In John 14:27, Jesus says, "Let not your heart be troubled. Neither let it be afraid." I think that in John's first letter He is explaining what Jesus said in a deeper way out of John's life and faith.

The more I got to know the Lord and the more I came to be able to rust Him, the more I understood that I was loved and cared for completely. Fears and insecurities were conquered by the fullness of love that continues to grow in my heart.

This is the key to faith -- that when we trust the Lord and come to know that He is LOVE, and live out that love in our lives, we no longer are afraid or worried. We become secure in His love, grace and mercy.

My prayer for you today and always, Beloved, is that you will continue to open your heart to the possibility and reality of that LOVE.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

HOSTS OF WITNESSES

I spent a quiet, pensive day yesterday remembering relatives and friends who were in service . . . thanking God for everyone serving now -- and for veterans who live amongst us with wounds that are visible, or not . . . reflecting on wars and on the elusiveness of true peace. In the afternoon as I drove to my grandson's school on the gloriously sunny day, I was gently distracted from my reverie by vistas that were trimmed with beautiful flourishes of the vibrant red, yellow and orange autumn hues on the trees covering the Cherokee foothills of the southern Appalachians. The loveliness soothed my heart, assuaging the dull ache that Veterans Day evokes for so many people.

As baby boomers, we were subjected to the remembrance of World War II and the Korean Conflict was initiated around the time that many of us were born.  When my brother, sister and I visited our grandparents' homes, the photos of uncles in uniform stood framed and proudly displayed on dresser tops, but we heard no war stories about them.  The agonies they had faced were kept from us, though we were aware of a prayerful gratitude that they were all still alive. 

The terror of the threat of nuclear war was shocking from the moment I became aware of it at the age of nine and a half during the Cuban Missile Crisis.  But baby boomers, as well as the people of our parents' and grandparents' generation dealt with many levels of collective traumatic stress. 


I have a memory of a panicky desire to somehow try to help keep the Cold War from becoming "hot." We practiced sitting on the floor of our elementary school hallways facing the lockers during civil defense drills.  Our teachers helped us prepare to walk home to our little village on a lake in northern Illinois along the busy highway that our bus normally drove on to bring us back and forth.  Most American baby boomers have similar recollections.

During a high school history class I first became cognizant of the war in Southeast Asia, and my heart was used to the feelings of grief associated with the horrors of the wars and other atrocities of the mid-20th century.  Soon everything we had learned about war as children became more concrete when the boys we knew became vulnerable to the draft -- our brothers, our cousins, our friends.  


Maybe one of the reasons I can never get into buying lottery tickets has to do with the association of "lottery" with the way the Selective Service operated from 1969-1975 because of the war in Southeast Asia.  

(Welcome home.)

Of course despite the war protestors, not every young man who was drafted was unwilling.  And there were also many volunteers who served in the US military in that era.  Since then some of us, some of our children and even some of our grandchildren have become veterans.  We have moved into a new millennium, but the violence of wars and conflicts have continued.
 

 As we came of age, our generation witnessed and participated in other struggles and social upheavals, too . . . the strife of the civil rights movement, protests against the war . . . conflicts related to the women's liberation efforts.  US military members in uniform were at times involved in some of these struggles, too, at times with great controversy.

Maybe after reading this you won't be surprised that I couldn't sleep at all last night.  Reflections led to renewed grief over memories, but I was also led to hope and to be grateful.  For one thing, I happened to watch part of a BBC news report on responses to the dreadful loss of life and damages caused in the Philippines by the typhoon a few days ago.  Much needed aid is pouring in from all over the world, of course.  Both the US and Great Britain are sending naval ships to help support the relief efforts.  That is nothing new, but sometimes positive acts are chronicled less often in the media than are disasters and scandals. 

Veterans and active duty military members have served or serve in many ways that a many civilians might not even realize.  And the families of military members serve, too.  Not that they want extra recognition.  In my experience, people who take the oath to serve our country are humble and dedicated.  They are committed to their countrymen and to their fellow service members.  Whether they serve on active duty during wars and conflict or in peacetime, duty and honor are under girded by a kind of passionate commitment.  Their not perfect and I am not trying to glorify them.  I just want to share some insights from my experiences and perspective.
 

All told, I just think it's good we take time aside on Veterans Day . . . and on Memorial Day . . . and at any other time we want to recognize and appreciate the people who willingly and lovingly serve or have served our country.  

In so many ways, it's the least we can do.