NO FEAR…Really?… Good morning Hump Day readers. How is your Christmas looking? Presents wrapped, family coming over, no bad weather expected, everyone seems happy and ready…wait a minute, what perfect scenario is this? Must be something from a Hallmark movie. Wouldn’t it be nice, though, if that scenario was really true—not just for a few but for ALL people?

I put my Christmas music on while reading and getting ready to write this devotion. First song was It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year—stopped me in my tracks and the next moment a Scripture came to my mind—perplexing me because it seemed to have nothing to do with what I intended to write. However, I should know that God has often changed my thoughts to a different thought I would not have thought about. Suffice it to say God did it again with this Scripture:

“Do not be afraid, for behold,
I bring you good tidings of great joy
which will be to all people.
For there is born to you this day
in the city of David a Savior
who is Christ the Lord.”
—Luke 2:10–11

I got this far with these verses and couldn’t quite wrap my mind around what to do next, except to get another cup of coffee. Then I clicked the TV on, walked back to my desk and one of the reporters [from CNN] was asked about the difficulty of—read carefully this is important—trying to convey Christmas as a joyous time of the year when so many people are definitely living in frightening times. I almost spilled my coffee—and then out-loud (no one else was in the room thankfully) I looked up and said “God, you want me to talk about frightening times?” God’s answer? It wasn’t audible, but it was right in front of my eyes in the Scripture above that God plunked into my brain-duh!

Do NOT be afraid…angels said that a lot when they whizzed down to earth to give a message  to God’s people. In fact, over 58 times in both the Old and New Testament these words were spoken to people. In those days angels appeared and were as visible as they were audible; no wonder folks were afraid. These were messengers from God, powerful and “magnificent beings.” Fear was usually the first reaction. I liken that to that phone-call in the middle of the night, or the doctor’s nurse who calls and says ‘the doctor wants to see you right away.’ It can’t be good, right?

In Jesus’ day, people were truly living in frightening times. The Iron Fist of communism was a puppy-dog compared to the Iron Fist of Rome’s Pax Romana—meaning tranquility and peace. Sounds good to the ear but it was anything but good. National Geographic’s archeology files write: “Although comparatively peaceful, the Roman Empire was hardly devoid of bloodshed during Pax Romana. Tyrannical emperors killed political rivals as Rome brutally suppressed revolts in provinces such as Judea and Britain. And it continued its imperial conquests, which caused the Caledonian chieftain Calgacus to quip that the Romans create a desolation and call it peace.”

I couldn’t help but equate the fear that still exists today in so many folks who are living in frightening times on this planet—there is similarity. Jews were wondering if the Romans would ever leave their land and leave them alone. Wars all over our globe today are singing the same tune. And in our own homes you will find all kinds of fear and some that squash the joy out of Christmas. Like, “I’m afraid she won’t like her gift”—“I’m afraid my mother-in-law will hate anything I make for Christmas dinner”—“He’s not coming home again because he is too afraid we don’t understand him”—fill in your own, we all have them. And let’s not forget the families of soldiers who live with a fear their loved one may never come home from war, and also this pandemic that seems to be an “unending war” with a tiny but powerful virus.

Does God send us angel-messengers as a reminder to “do not fear”? Indeed! There are many who have seen and heard angels—and for many others, those angels are the people right in their own families, churches, neighborhoods, prayer circles, food banks and more. Take a moment to serve those in need—to them you are the ‘angel’ they’ve been yearning for. And believe me, you won’t have to worry about how they like the food, the shoes or socks, etc—their need is so great that just a smile and a touch from you brings out their smiles and grateful attitudes.

Christmas IS a season of hope, giving, caring, and changing lives. It is NOT a season of fear. So let’s stop taking on these fears that kill the joy of the season for ourselves and sadly, often those around us. Friends, whatever your fears, whatever you may be afraid of today, grasp the message of Christmas where the first proclamation of the birth of the Messiah-the Savior of the world was, “DO NOT FEAR…for behold I bring you great JOY…” When you grasp the JOY of the Lord, fear melts away because God’s perfect love casts out ALL fear.

Let’s also remember the angels’ words: “I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.” Notice the word ALL? God’s gift of Jesus was not just in Bethlehem, it was for the whole world and that has never changed and neither has those living in the darkness of fear. They are so afraid they do not hear, see or grasp the Message. So, God has told us—all of us who know “the Light” to go and share the Good News of Jesus in the dark places of this world. Come on people, we CAN do this because, in God, we can do ALL things, AMEN.