Don’t worry!

Human life is fraught with moments of doubt and fear. Christians, too, are often confronted with spiritual and physical fear: such as the fear of what Jesus might ask them to do; the fear of letting go of things or people to which they are attached but which draw them away from God. Did he not say: ‘If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out’?; the fear that Jesus will not answer their prayers; the fear of Jesus’ call, of his vocation. But people also experience a fear of death, especially at this time when the pandemic is wreaking havoc in every country, when no one knows who will be the next to succumb to the disease. This drives many to turn to magic to ‘armour themselves’ so as to be spared. The irony is that those who claim to protect against death are not immortal themselves. Many are afraid of so-called sorcerers, dreading to return to their home village or town, or avoiding certain roads because, as the saying goes, they are frequented by sorcerers. They are thus afraid of witchcraft and spend sleepless nights.

I remember a time in my childhood when fear tormented me. Whenever I followed an obituary or attended a funeral, I was afraid of ghosts, of the possibility of encountering the deceased in a dark corner. It was only when I realised that God was protecting me that this fear vanished. ‘For unless the Lord guards the city, the watchmen keep vigil in vain’ (Psalm 127 (126)); ‘You shall have no fear of the terrors of the night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that stalks by night, nor of the plague that ravages at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, you yourself shall remain unharmed.’ (Ps 91:5–7). We are often afraid of attacks and theft. We are afraid of the future: ‘What does it hold for me—happiness or misfortune? Who will I marry?’ Some are afraid of their school results because of their poor work. Others dread unemployment or redundancy, or the outcome of their application for a residence visa in a foreign country. Many parents fear for their children’s future or even for losing their spouse.

Fear, therefore, often fills our lives. Unfortunately, because of this fear, we sometimes fall into sin. Pontius Pilate was the governor responsible for judging Jesus. The charges brought against Jesus did not carry the death penalty under Roman law. But Pilate was afraid of losing his position. The crowd had threatened that if he did not hand Jesus over to them, they would bring charges against him before Caesar, because he was allowing someone else to declare himself king. ‘He knew full well that it was out of envy that they had handed him over. Now, whilst he was sitting in judgement, his wife sent word to him: “Have nothing to do with that righteous man; for today I have been greatly troubled in a dream because of him ’ (Mt 27:19). But out of fear, he handed Jesus over to be put to death. Out of fear, the apostles fled and denied Jesus.

Fear impoverishes those who go to marabouts because they spend enormous sums of money there. People seek protection, yet misfortune always befalls them. We must make an effort to avoid becoming victims of theft, take precautions to protect our property and, where possible, subdue criminals. From a health perspective, we must adhere to hygiene and lockdown measures. But fear in itself leads to anxiety. It leaves us vulnerable. We risk suffering from insomnia, nightmares, headaches and other psychosomatic illnesses.

In the Bible, words of comfort were spoken to those who were afraid: ‘Do not be afraid!’ The angel said to Mary: ‘Do not be afraid; you have found favour with the Lord!’ (Luke 1:30). To Joseph he said: ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid’ (Matthew 1:20). On many occasions, Jesus said to his disciples and to Peter: ‘Do not be afraid!’ Jesus does not condone laziness or negligence. But fear discourages and paralyses us. When we are afraid, we lack courage and hope. Yet hope is a theological virtue. Being afraid does not in itself change the situation. ‘Which of you, by worrying, can add a single cubit to the length of your life?... So do not worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’ In these difficult times, let us entrust ourselves to Jesus, offer him our sufferings and those of others, and place our trust in him.

Henri Bayemi