Fear Not...

"Giffords, her circle struggle together" ... "Turmoil in the Middle East- The Signs of Civil War" ... "Why a shutdown beats standing down" (referring to the budget) ... "Weather beaten- World running out of time to stop climate change" ... "How to get into college, in many stressful steps" ... "Md. House plans to act fast on gay marriage"  These are just a few of the headlines in a recent edition of our local paper, The Washington Post. And while they are intended to make you read the article by striking fear in your heart, they are also a reminder that we live in fearful times... at least according to popular opinion with a naturalistic worldview.

It is easy to get caught up in the fear frenzy, to forget that as Christians we are called to "fear not." Late last summer we noticed electronic signs along several major highways in the DC-Baltimore corridor. They came after several terrorist attempts, some suspected and some real,  in the United States and abroad.

The first time I saw this sign, my heart started racing and I wondered what we were doing here.

I have been reading the book of Isaiah this year and I am amazed at how many times God tells his people "do not be afraid" or some variation just in that book alone. So how does that work- to not be afraid when everyone and everything around you is screaming "Be afraid! Be very afraid!" God says in Isaiah 41:10 "So do not fear, for I am with you and do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." I wish it said that we would never have things to be afraid of... but it doesn't. 

David wrote in Psalm 56:3-4 "When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid." That has become my mantra when I am fearful. Do I vigilantly look for unattended bags in public places? Of course I do. But I don't allow the possibility of a terrorist act keep me from going to those public places. I don't dwell on the uncertainty in this world but look ahead to the certainty of the next.

This temporary electronic sign is moved from location to location and alternately flashes the message above with the Terror Tip Hotline number.

As I became less fearful I could even find some humor in the sign above. Is it a number to call to give or get tips on being a terrorist? While I know that is not the intended meaning, I am able to chuckle just a bit as I pass the sign... and not be frozen with fear. God is with me... I will not fear.