Courage will come

I was so taken by Bill’s “p.s.” quote at the end of his post (see below), that I’m going to give it to you again, and then see where it takes us:

I fear in the dark and the doubt of my journey;
But courage will come with the sound
of your steps by my side.
And with all of the family you saved
by your love,
we’ll sing to your dawn at the end of our journey.

(From the hymn, “Lord Jesus, You Shall Be My Song”, Les Petite Soeurs de Jesus and L’Arche Community)

Fear and courage… they come in and out of my life, changing in intensity from moment to moment. Perhaps yours, too.

That could be why I’m so intrigued by the image of Jesus’ followers huddled in a locked-tight room… right after receiving the news that Jesus was alive again. What a mix of fear and courage these folks must be feeling! (Click on the title of this post to get the picture.)

They have plenty to be afraid of, such as soldiers coming to cart their carcasses to crosses. They may even be afraid of Jesus. After all, if he really did rise from the dead, if he’s really THAT powerful, then what’s he going to do with all those cowards who abandoned him when the going got tough?

But there’s also plenty of reasons for courage to be creeping in. If their great teacher and friend really is alive, then all they had hoped for might really come to be. If Jesus really loves them and all of humanity as much as he seemed to back then, if he's really so at one with God that death could not defeat him, then that changes everything! Hanging between fear and courage, they waited… and hoped… and barricaded the door, just in case.

How would you manage such a confused mix of fear and courage? How do you do it? Does God have any part in it? Are you all on your own?

The hymn quoted above asserts, “But courage will come with the sound of your steps by my side.” Courage will come. And so will doubts and fears. Sometimes both at the same time… or alternating with each breath. It's nothing to be ashamed of. It's who we are as God's searching people.

For this week’s Bread for your journey, let’s explore this dance of fear and courage, of wavering doubt and stand-firm assurance. Come to the Crowne Plaza, 7pm, Thursday night, or tune in virtually here at the blog one of the following days. In the meantime feel free to write any thoughts you may have about all of this. This is your space, your community, no matter who you are and who God is to you. Keep coming to be fed, and offer any feedback on how that can best happen for you.

Peace,
Kari