The entirety of God’s realm is ours if only we give away all we own.* Fear attaches to whatever we cannot release, becoming a ruinous mold in the dark isolation of our grasping and clutching. Fear infiltrates our life, alters our breathing and shows up masked as various anxieties and dis-eases. Fear erodes the realm God wants to give us. Jesus shines a healing light upon our minds and hearts to clear the mold of fear away.
Some say the relinquished life is one in which we strive to live lightly enough, unafraid enough, that we could pack up all we posses and be ready to leave for our next assignment within the hour. Not because possessions are bad—houses and clothes and food bring beauty and comfort and are a blessing to share—but because it gives God such pleasure, and by extension the rest of us as well, when we are unafraid to go, or unafraid to stay, when we are unafraid of fear.
Living expectantly, unencumbered and light, life becomes a path of pleasure. We work with God to create servant structures for all to dwell in; we join in God’s dream to eradicate fear. Even a thief coming in the middle of the night will not be able to alarm us. Welcome! We have plenty to offer you. We are not afraid. Sit down at our table. Enjoy the feast!
- In what ways does fear have a foothold in my life?
- How could my spiritual path be more free?
- Do “things” get in the way or give me the way?
–Kayla McClurg, Passage by Passage, Year C
