A thought that belongs in a different sermon than the one I wrote this week:
When the angel appears to the shepherds in Luke 2, it says, "The Lord's glory shone around them, and they were terrified." The traditional (and most obvious) interpretation of this is that God's glory was so overwhelming that they were afraid until the angel spoke to them.
But out of curiosity, I decided to look up the Greek word that's translated as "shone around". Strong's Greek Concordance defines it as "to illuminate all around, i.e. invest with a halo". Then I wondered, what if the shepherds were afraid because they could tell that something holy was happening and *they were at the center of it*?
Holiness comes with responsibility, just like power does (h/t Peter Parker's Uncle Ben). It's what the prophets faced when they needed to preach messages of God's anger and Israel's downfall. It's certainly easier to avoid it and let the responsibility fall on other shoulders. But for those whom God has set apart for a holy purpose, that's not really an option (see: the entire book of Jonah). So when you realize beyond a doubt that you've been pulled into something holy, fear is a reasonable reaction.
In a time when holiness (or righteousness or justice, if you prefer) feels so evasive, it can be scary when you feel its light surrounding you and calling you to action. But as the angel told the shepherds, "Don't be afraid!" God is with you. The path ahead may be difficult, but it's worth treading. And there will be good news at the end. So take heart, and go.
No comments:
Post a Comment