Mandatory isolation in our homes due to the coronavirus pandemic has released many emotions within us which we either did not expect or in many cases simply wanted to hide.
One of the most notable and strong emotions is that of fear.
How our priorities have changed! What seemed impossible just a month ago has become everyday reality. It turns out we can live without shopping, spending money on non-essential good and watching football matches.
Free of those activities, which serve to make our time more enjoyable, we have woken up naked to reality and are now afraid.
The fear did not appear from watching the news or reading disease statistics. It was within us all along, but hidden, deadened, covered by hundreds of masks, and not the medical type of masks either.
The pandemic opened huge layers of fear within people. Many turned to the Bible which tells them, “Don’t be afraid” and “don’t fear”. But how do you do that?
Abraham carried on, losing what was important to him yet understanding realities which he had not previously understood. He became the “father of nations” and his descendants are as many as the sand and stars.
The pandemic opened huge layers of fear within people. Many turned to the Bible which tells them, “Don’t be afraid” and “don’t fear”. But how do you do that?
“The call for calm using the words ‘don’t be afraid’ seems illogical, because how can you tell someone who is afraid of heights to not be afraid of a chasm?” Father Wojciech Węgrzyniak once told me.
This call is not about being told not to fear because I order you to do so. I instead promise it with my presence: Don’t be afraid, you are not alone, I am with you.
There is no worse experience than loneliness. The words “don’t be afraid” spoken by God, Jesus or the angels in the Bible have a powerful message to aid us in the worst of times.
Just remember the words stemming from the Kingdom of God: I know your feelings, I know what you feel, and I want to ensure you that you will not remain alone.
Title image: Priest Joachim Giesler stands in the parish church in front of photos with parishioners who were asked to send in photos after the service was closed due to coronavirus in Achern, Germany, Sunday March 29, 2020. More than 300 pictures were printed out and hung on the pews.
