I’ll Pass
Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” – John 20:19b (NRSVUE)
Whether or not we like to admit it out loud, fear is as much a part of our lives as breathing. We carry fears that were imprinted on us in childhood based on our earliest experiences, and the longer we live, the more fears we accumulate.
Moving to a new town? There’s a fear for that. Cancer diagnosis? You’re prescribed a whole list of fears with that one. Loss of a job? Here, have some fear with a side of dismay. Fears are sneaky and persistent.
When I show up to worship each week, I’m not an empty vessel waiting to be filled by the Holy Spirit. The newest and hottest anxieties of the week are oozing out of my pores. If I sit too close to the next person in the pew, I can smell the same stench on them, too.
It is only when we pause our prayers and praise to pass a word of peace to one another that I start to feel my fear melt away. It’s not that my problems suddenly have answers. It’s that I remember that as persistent as my fears are, the peace of Christ is even more persistent.
We don’t repeat Jesus’s refrain to each other because it’s a nice thing to say. We say it because to be human in this life is to need the reminder that the something-out-there waiting for us isn’t the bogeyman; it is a love so strong it can overpower even the scariest of scaries.
Prayer
Pass me your peace, Christ Jesus, and I’ll be sure to pass it on to the next person who needs it.
About the AuthorLiz Miller serves as the Designated Pastor of Granby Congregational Church, UCC and is the author of Only Work Sundays: A Laidback Guide to Doing Less while Helping Your Church Thrive.