Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.  Psalm 23:4
 
 
I live in a valley between two mountain ranges. It’s a beautiful place and I love looking up on either side at the peaks and ridges as I travel along the freeway or the bike trail. Green in spring but brown by summer, the terrain is something I just can’t get enough of.
 
Until fire season rolls around. Those varying shades of brown signify the arid composition of the land. There are no summer rains to bring the greenness back but rather lightning strikes to start wildfires and fierce winds to fan the fast-moving flames. Because of climate change, the summers are hotter and drier. The fires get closer.
 
Fear has a way of imbedding deep into your mind and creating a stronghold, a venerable fortress that forces all other, perhaps more rational thoughts, to succumb to the strength of that fear. Anxiety, a close cousin of fear, guards this prison of the mind as it exerts control over the body in a visceral sort of way.
 
To unlock the prison of my anxious and fearful thoughts, I open my Bible. Psalm 23 is a familiar one. I read it this time with new eyes as I pray for the Holy Spirit’s illumination. The key verse today, verse 4, leaps off the page. I can certainly relate to walking through a valley, especially one that is threatened by wildfires. David, the shepherd boy turned king who penned this psalm, declares in verse 4 that he will fear no evil. Why? Because the Lord is with him. I, too, need not fear both real and exaggerated dangers. God’s presence surrounds me and melts away the stronghold of fear within my mind. But first, I have to recognize His presence with me, trust in His faithfulness and sovereignty to protect me, and make a conscious choice not to allow fear to control me.
 
“Your rod and your staff” in verse 4 do not initially sound very comforting to me. Yet, as I dig a bit deeper into this verse, I realize that “rod” simply refers to God’s Word and the strength it imparts. God’s Word is indeed a source of strength to me, especially when I tuck verses like Psalm 23:4 or Psalm 56:3* into my memory to recall when I start to feel afraid again.
 
The shepherd’s crook or staff in verse 4 has several meanings. The staff refers to the way the shepherd guides and protects his sheep by gently keeping them on the right path and by using the staff against predators to protect his precious sheep. Whatever my fears are, Jesus protects me and guides me through this darkest valley on a path of faith and trust.

The staff is also a symbol of God’s promises. Two such promises spring to mind:  God is with me and will strengthen and help me (Isaiah 41:10*) and when I pray about everything with thanksgiving, God promises to guard my heart and mind with His peace (Philippians 4:6-7*). While fear is a normal human emotion, I don’t have to let it control me. God is with me and through prayer, I can experience His peace in the midst of fearful circumstances.

Lastly, the staff is instrumental in aiding the shepherd as he counts his sheep, which, in biblical times, were considered very valuable. This reminds me of Jesus’ words in Luke 12:7, “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Jesus values me and cares for me so much that I can trust Him to take care of me and I don’t need to be afraid. I can cast all my anxiety on Him for He cares for me (1 Peter 5:7*).
 
The whole imagery of sheep and a shepherd is comforting. Isaiah 40:11 says, “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.” Parking my mind on this imagery of Jesus carrying His lambs close to His heart, to love and protect them replaces the negative and rampant thoughts of fear and reassures me that Jesus loves and protects me, too. When I’m afraid, I have the abiding presence of Jesus to calm my fears and His strength to carry me when my own strength has been sabotaged by fear.
 
What causes your heart to seize with fear? This year has held us hostage to the fear of a pandemic with its many horrible implications. George Floyd’s murder has awakened many to the fear gripping Black communities every day. The stress of the election (yes, election stress disorder is a thing) can evoke both fear and anxiety regarding the uncertainty now and the outcome later. (I’m writing this a couple of weeks before Election Day.) Perhaps you have your own unique fears layered on top of these underpinnings of national angst. Whatever causes trepidation in your heart and keeps your mind on a loop of perpetual anxiety, know that God is in control, that He is with you, that He will strengthen and help you, and that He tenderly cares for you as a shepherd cares for his lambs, especially in the midst of trying and scary circumstances. (Click here for a free, downloadable PDF of Bible verses on fear and anxiety.)
 
Choosing to trust Jesus as my Shepherd who lovingly cares for me as His sheep, His precious lamb, fills me with hope and comfort instead of anxiety and fear. I don’t have to be afraid when the Shepherd walks with me, whether it’s in the valley of the shadow of death or in the valley of California wildfires, global pandemics, racial injustice, or national elections. In whatever fearful valley you find yourself in today, know that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, lovingly walks with you and will gently lead you through to peaceful green pastures and calming still waters.
 
 
Lord, You are the Good Shepherd who lovingly looks after Your sheep. I don’t need to hold onto fear, even when circumstances tell me otherwise. My truly safe place is inside where Your Spirit brings me the gifts of Your presence, strength, and peace. I thank You that You are sovereign and faithful to lead me through whatever valley I’m walking in today. Amen.
 
 
*Psalm 56:3 - When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
 
*Isaiah 41:10 - So do not fear, for I am with you; 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.
 
*Philippians 4:6-7 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
 
*1 Peter 5:7 - Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
 
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2020 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of grazing sheep in Paradise, near Queenstown, New Zealand.
 
 
A NOTE ABOUT RACIAL JUSTICE: The conversation on racial justice must continue. But change will not happen with only conversations and demonstrations. Cultural and legislative changes are key to dismantling systemic racism. Antiracism is a journey. Will you join me? Click here to check out my new website page on “Justice Matters”.
 
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  Matthew 22:37-40
 
 
I remember a particular visit to my grandmother’s house many years ago with my parents and brothers. My father and his mother loved to talk politics. At one point, my grandmother, sensing that my mother was bored out of her mind, looked at my mom and said, “You may not be interested in politics now, but someday you’ll realize how important political affairs are and how they impact your whole life.” My grandmother’s words never changed my mother’s mind, but they have stuck with me all these years. I’ve come to realize she was right. When you boil politics down, you have policies that govern every aspect of our lives here in the US. And these policies matter.
 
Despite that enlightening conversation I overheard as a teen, my grandmother’s words would lie dormant for quite a while in the otherwise fertile soil of my young mind. Years later, a busy life of family and work left me little space for becoming informed of political affairs. My apathy towards politics blinded me to the intersection of political life and my own life. But as my grandmother’s words began to germinate, I discovered I had a lot to learn.
 
At some point, I had become a single-issue voter, regardless of how many other important issues were on the ballot. I chose a candidate based on where they stood on this seemingly all-important issue without thinking about and researching whether there were other issues this candidate stood for that might negatively impact me or others in the broader community. I also never considered other aspects of this over-arching issue. I discovered I had been wrong in voting this way. It's like hiring someone solely based on one characteristic without looking to see if they are truly qualified. Yet that was how I hired with my vote. Resolutions and referendums on the ballot were reduced to questions like “What's in it for me?” and “How will this impact me?”. To ignore the rest of a candidate’s platform or a referendum’s implications was at least ignorant and selfish and at most reckless.
 
Moving from a single-issue voter to voting on a broad array of issues takes thoughtfulness and intention. I had to broaden my perspective and consider the impact of what and who I was voting for. And I had to put the good of the country over loyalty to any party. I’ve realized that a democracy does not exist for the purpose of a select few, but for the good of all people. As a citizen, I have to take a stand on issues that impact all of us, including, but not limited to, the pandemic, racial injustice and oppression, climate change, job opportunities, education, medical care, and food and housing insecurity. These topics have far-reaching consequences for every person in this country and issues like climate change impact the entire world. All of these issues are on the ballot this year.

As Christians, where does the kingdom of Jesus intersect the world of politics? In Jesus' day, His followers expected Him to overthrow the Roman government. Instead Jesus ushered in a kingdom of love, reconciliation, justice, grace, and truth that operated within the framework of the existing government. While the disciples didn’t have the right to vote, we as US citizens cannot take this precious right lightly nor exercise it in a vacuum. Becoming knowledgeable of today’s issues with God’s wisdom allows us to change our society to be more just to all people, not just for an elite few. We each have a voice. Our voice is our vote.

How do we vote as Christians? To vote by biblical principles means to first become informed. For ballot initiatives, check out government websites that explain the referendums. Regarding candidates, look at their websites to find out where they stand on issues. Compare their views with their opponent’s and compare the platforms of the major political parties. Listen to and/or read news that is reputable (not on social media).

Secondly, take the information you glean and run it through what I call the “Grid of Love”, a template through which we can test the issues and the candidates based on John 3:16* that tells of God’s love and sacrifice for the whole world. This Grid of Love uses God’s principles of love, reconciliation, justice, grace, and truth to help us discern God’s heart and mind as we sift through the issues.

1 – Love – Matthew 22:37-40 – Our key verse for today is about Jesus’ greatest commandments of loving God and our neighbors. Love must be at the forefront when we think about a political issue. Ask yourself whether the issue or the candidate’s platform shows love to people, keeping in mind God’s particular concern for the poor and the oppressed.

2 – Reconciliation – 2 Corinthians 5:18-20* – Ask yourself how this issue or candidate enables us to be ambassadors of reconciliation so people understand who God is and will want to be reconciled to Him. Does this issue or candidate divide people or bring them together?

3 – Justice – Micah 6:8* – Consider whether this issue or candidate establishes justice or oppression. Sometimes what is legal is not just. Again, keep in mind God’s deep passion and love for the poor and the oppressed.

4 – Grace and Truth – John 1:14* - Grace and truth can exist simultaneously when we consider all the angles, when we allow our consciences to be informed by the Holy Spirit, and when we consider God’s character and His desires for humankind. When we consider the truth or the legalities, add the dimensions of grace and compassion. How does the issue impact all groups of people? How would you feel if you were in an impacted group? Ask yourself how you would wish to be treated in this situation.

When we use the Scriptures to inform our response, the Holy Spirit has an opportunity to engage our consciences. We may come to different conclusions (Romans 14:4-5*) but if we are sincere in our approach, research, and prayer, and we’re being led by the Holy Spirit without being under the influence of political parties or religious groups’ political persuasions, we can decide confidently for ourselves and know in our hearts and consciences that the Holy Spirit is guiding us. Our vote matches our convictions when we’ve thoughtfully wrestled with the issues with the help of the Holy Spirit and the guiding principles of love, reconciliation, justice, grace, and truth. It’s important that we don’t judge others for their conclusions as we would not want them to judge us (Matthew 7:1*).

Let’s view the ballot, not with myopic eyes for only one issue, but with foresight toward the horizon, encompassing many issues, for a better, healthier, and more just society for all. Let’s be the hands and feet of Jesus as we bring His values of love, reconciliation, justice, grace, and truth to shape the policies that will affect the common good, including our own good. Maybe, then, we will all share hope for the future, a better future for us, our neighbors, and our country.

The seeds planted by my grandmother in my adolescent mind have germinated and blossomed into an interest in political affairs that still surprises me. I think she would be proud of me for picking up her mantle and carrying it forward. And I believe our heavenly Father is also proud of us when we live out His commandments of love by showing we care about all our neighbors in how we vote at the ballot box.
 
 
Lord God, I thank You that Your kingdom is based on love, reconciliation, justice, grace, and truth. May I live out my faith by loving You with all my heart, soul, and mind and all my neighbors as myself. Where politics intersects my life, may Your Holy Spirit be my guide. Grant me Your wisdom to choose wisely at the ballot box so that Your grace and compassion will be evident to all. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
 
 
*John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
 
*2 Corinthians 5:18-20 - All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
 
*Micah 6:8 -He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
 
*John 1:14 - The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
 
*Romans 14:4-5 - Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand. One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind.
 
*Matthew 7:1 - “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”
 
 
Note: Inspiration for this blog post is from Voting by the Book which appeared in the May/June 2008 issue of Discipleship Journal magazine (Issue 165).
 
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2020 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of a lone tree in Paradise, near Queenstown, New Zealand.
 

​A NOTE ABOUT RACIAL JUSTICE: The conversation on racial justice must continue. But change will not happen with only conversations and demonstrations. Legislation is the key for change. Cast your vote for candidates who pledge to dismantle systemic racism. Antiracism is a journey. Will you join me? (Please see previous posts entitled Waking Up, Loving Mercy, and Humbly Walking.)

 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.  Micah 6:8
 
 
In the previous posts entitled Waking Up and Loving Mercy, we looked at systemic racism and racial injustice through the filter of Micah 6:8. To act justly involves becoming informed in order to better understand the realities and causes of systemic racism. Then we can seek justice in our own actions and in society. To love mercy means to delight in having compassion and showing kindness toward others regardless of their race. Today’s post will dive into the last part of the verse on what it means to walk humbly before God.
 
In the days of Micah, the Old Testament prophet, injustice and oppression were rampant. Those who acted cruelly and unjustly toward others created and sustained this system of oppression with impunity. They felt they were above the law. As I study Micah 6:8, I wonder why “walk humbly with your God” is last and not first, for it would make sense to be right with God before one could act justly and kindly toward others. Yet, perhaps the verse is in this order for a reason.
 
The word humble is defined as modest, not proud or arrogant, and courteously respectful. Humility is thinking of ourselves rightly and truthfully, not as superior. In the previous post, we defined racism in part as thinking of our own race as superior. When we view humility through the lens of racism and injustice, we discover that it is impossible to be humble if we hold the racist belief of racial superiority.
 
Luke 18:9 states that there were “some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else.” To speak to His listeners’ lack of humility, Jesus tells this parable in Luke 18:10-14. A Pharisee goes to the temple to pray. Pharisees were zealous Jews that proudly upheld and enforced over 600 laws of do’s and don’ts. In reality, the Pharisees oppressed the poor and held groups of people like the Gentiles and women in contempt.(1) At the temple, standing further back is a tax collector, a member of a profession held in contempt by the Jewish people because they worked for the Roman government and were known for cheating and greediness. As the Pharisee prays, he commends himself to God based on his fasting and tithing and thanks God that he is not like everyone else, particularly the tax collector. Meanwhile, the tax collector, by standing far from the Pharisee, shows his respect and humility. In his shame and unworthiness, he can’t even look up toward heaven. He beats himself on the chest to show his contriteness as he confesses his sins through this simple prayer: “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” He knows he cannot be right with God on his own merit and that his righteousness only comes from being in a right relationship with God who alone pardons sins and shows mercy. The Pharisee, by contrast, is proud and arrogant as he trusts in his own righteousness. Note there is no real worship of God in the Pharisee’s prayer or any confession of sin. His prayer displays his contempt for others while it shows his blatant refusal to see himself as he is: a sinner in need of grace. Jesus states that the tax collector, not the Pharisee, is absolved from his sins and made right with God that day. Jesus says, “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
 
In contrasting the Pharisee with the tax collector, the connection between mercy and humility is clear: when we do not love mercy, we become judgmental and critical of others, thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought to. Perhaps this is why walking humbly follows acting justly and loving mercy in Micah 6:8. If we do not act justly and kindly toward others, it’s impossible to walk humbly with God. For it is in our deeds that we show our true heart.(2) And God is not fooled by our hypocritical thoughts and actions. Only when we act justly and love mercy can we walk humbly with our God.   
 
Racism is more than explicitly feeling superior toward people of a different race. We can implicitly and subconsciously perpetrate racism without knowingly thinking we’re superior. But if we view this passage in Luke through the lens of racism, we see that when we believe we are superior, we act like the arrogant and judgmental Pharisee. Superiority (or supremacy) is incompatible with humility before God. We cannot walk humbly with God while walking self-righteously before humankind. When we condemn people of color to a life of poverty and oppression by wrongly thinking they are somehow inferior and thus deserve it, we are exuding self-righteousness. The justice, mercy, and humility from Micah 6:8 cannot be experienced if we are caught up in superiority and self-righteousness. We cannot act justly by blaming people of color for their unfortunate and often horrific circumstances when it is the systems of racism that perpetrate inhumanity on our fellow humans. And by our silence and complicity in those systems, it is we who are guilty.
 
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, in his 1963 Letter from a Birmingham Jail written to eight prominent white clergy, shared his disappointment and disdain for “the white moderate”, someone who is “more devoted to ‘order’ than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: ‘I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action’; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom…Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.” Dr. King expected to count the white church as his allies. Instead, some were “outright opponents, refusing to understand...all too many others have been more cautious than
courageous and have remained silent behind the anesthetizing security of stained glass windows.”
 
Saying we agree in principle but doing nothing to stop racial injustice allows systemic racism to continue. Standing up for what is right takes courage. But we, as individuals and as the Christian church, have the collective power to interrupt centuries of injustice. How we use our power is a choice. The question is not should we do it, but how will we do it? First of all, pray and ask God to show you how He wants you to become involved in the conversation of racial injustice. Continue to become informed. (Click here for resources.) Give to and reach out to organizations who are trying to make a difference. Ask how you can get involved. (Click here to learn more.) Write letters to your state legislators and representatives in Congress asking for changes in laws that massively incarcerate and discriminate against people of color.(3) Peacefully protest. Vote for candidates who view systemic racism as an issue that they are willing to address. Get to know a person of color. Stand up for what is right, just, and merciful.
 
Each of us has the power to make a difference. By acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with our God, we can be the change the world desperately needs today.
 
 
Lord, how Your heart must break from man’s inhumanity to man. Continue to open my eyes and heart to oppression, systemic racism, and racial injustice. Give me the boldness to continue this conversation and the courage to do all I can to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly before You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
 
 
(1) Traditionally, Pharisees recited a prayer daily thanking God they were not born a Gentile, an unlearned man, or a woman.
 
(2) In Luke 6:41-45, Jesus, using the analogy of taking the plank out of your own eye before taking the sawdust out of someone else’s eye, says we are not to judge. He goes on to discuss that the fruit of our actions reveals what’s in our hearts.
 
(3) Beginning with the “War on Drugs” in the 1980’s (when drug use was actually on the decline), federal funding under the Byrne program incentivizes local police to arrest high numbers of drug offenders without search warrants or probable cause and allows them to seize all kinds of property. Without adequate legal representation, many offenders plead guilty to avoid higher sentencing, even when they are innocent. Mandatory prison sentences for drug use, more stringent than other countries’ laws for murder and violent crime, often arbitrarily result in locking up a minor drug offender for life, rather than providing drug rehabilitation. Mass incarceration is used solely for the purpose of destroying the families and communities of people of color. It replaced Jim Crow laws, which had replaced the institution of slavery. For more information, read The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander.
 
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2020 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of entrance to a Burgundian winery, Corgoloin, France.
 
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.  Micah 6:8
 
 
In the previous post entitled Waking Up, we began our look at systemic racism through the lens of Micah 6:8. To act justly involves becoming informed so we can better understand the realities and causes of systemic racism. Then we can seek justice in our society and in our own actions. Today’s post will delve into the second part of the verse:  what it means to love mercy.
 
The ICB’s translation of loving mercy in Micah 6:8 is to “love being kind to others.” Mercy is kindness; it’s compassion in action. We are to love or delight in showing kindness. And we know from Galatians 5:23* that kindness is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit living in us. In an age of racism, how do we develop compassion and put it into action as kindness?
 
First, it’s helpful to define racism and how it fits into our own narratives. Racism is the belief that inherent differences (for example, biological) between racial groups determine achievement instead of individual merit and that one’s own race is superior. Racism becomes systemic when those beliefs are built into society, into each of its institutions, to give preferential treatment to the dominant group and allow discrimination toward the oppressed group.
 
I’m learning that typically, as white people, we do not believe we are racist. We have been taught that being a racist is always someone who is bad and intentionally racist. We become defensive if someone implies that we are racist since we believe we are “good” and that we would not intentionally say or do anything racist. This binary way of thinking of ourselves as good people who are not intentionally racist lets us off the hook for being racist. Consequently, we believe we are not responsible for sustaining racism in society.
 
Because we are all born into the same society with institutionalized racism, we all have internalized messages that are racist. Our challenge as white people is to replace those messages with biblically-based thoughts that align with the God who created every person in His image. One concept I find helpful is to think of racism and antiracism as a continuum rather than a binary option. When we can admit and confess our internalized racist beliefs, then we are free to move forward without defensiveness as we start to shed our racist beliefs and begin to reshape our thinking. Ultimately, our actions will reflect our true values based on how God says we are to treat others. 
 
In Luke 10:25-37, when a leader in the synagogue asks Jesus what are the greatest commandments, we learn that they are what every good Jew recited every day:  to “love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5), and to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). The leader presses Jesus to define “neighbor”, perhaps to prove he has sufficiently loved his neighbor. To the Jews, “neighbor” was narrowly defined as someone who was either kin to you or who ran in the same religious circle as you. Jesus answers the question of who is my neighbor with the parable that we call the Good Samaritan. We see a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho who is beaten, robbed, stripped naked, and left for dead. A priest comes along, but not wanting to be made ceremonially unclean by touching a potentially dead body, he walks on the other side of the road. A Levite, a member of the tribe of Levi who serves in the temple, walks toward the man, peers at him, and walks on. Finally, a Samaritan man comes along and stops to help the injured man, binding up his wounds and taking him on his donkey to a nearby inn where he cares for him. He then pays the innkeeper to continue the care until he returns. Jesus asks the question: “Which of these was a neighbor?” The leader answers that it is the one who helped him. Jesus tells him to go and do likewise.
 
The fact that neither of the religious leaders stopped to help displays their hypocrisy. One avoids the injured man and the other stops to peer at him and then looks the other way. How often, throughout history and even now, does the Christian church turn a blind eye to oppression when it has the power to stop it and offer help?
 
In the culture of Jesus’ day, the Jews and the Samaritans were enemies. The Jews looked down on the Samaritans as an inferior race because they had intermarried with other races. They also practiced their religion differently than the Jews. For a Samaritan to be the hero of this story was shocking to the Jewish listeners. But for this Samaritan to go the extra mile in seeing that the man is well taken care of shows his compassionate heart, for he doesn’t stop at just a minimal amount of help but continues to go out of his way to provide aid. Jesus shatters their idea of “neighbor”, for compassion has no borders.
 
The person called the Good Samaritan is a great example of how to break down our prejudices and our learned racism. He sees the wounded man as fully human and in need of help that he is in the position to give. We, too, need to view everyone as humans who deserve our respect, dignity, and love, for that is how God views everyone. His compassion has no borders.
 
While we may think we are not responsible for systemic racism, we are both individually and collectively responsible. As we allow God to open our eyes and change our hearts, we realize we have both the responsibility and the power to interrupt systemic racism. By our words and deeds, we can make a difference. Jesus calls us to be kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32**). Perhaps we start with acknowledging the mercy we have received from the Lord and then extending it to those He puts in our path.
 
What are practical steps in loving mercy? Pray. Ask God to show you how to be a His vessel of mercy to those oppressed by systemic racism. Continue to become informed. (Click here for resources.) Give to and actively engage with organizations who are trying to make a difference. (Click here to learn more.) Volunteer and peacefully protest where you can. Vote for candidates who want to change the systems that perpetrate racism. Get to know a person of color. Stand up for what is right. Silence is not an option.
 
While we may not be traveling the steep road from Jerusalem to Jericho, we are indeed on a journey of antiracism. Our society is screaming for the conversations, the actions, and the results. To love mercy, we need to realize that racism is a continuum, that we have to start where we are, acquire the knowledge that we need to change our stereotypes, and transform our prejudicial thoughts into loving acts of mercy. Then and only then will we be able to do as Jesus says and truly love our neighbors as ourselves.
 
 
Dear Heavenly Father, I confess my racial biases and prejudices to You. Open my eyes to see the devastation wrought by oppression on individuals that You created in Your image. Change my heart to be filled with Your compassion to reach out in kindness to do my part in stopping the tide of systemic racism. Grant me Your wisdom and love to act justly and to love mercy in my sphere of influence today. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
 
 
*Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
 
**Ephesians 4:32 - Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
 
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2020 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of the Adriatic Sea from Otranto, Province of Lecce, in Puglia, Italy.
 
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
 
ICB translation = Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.  Micah 6:8
 
 
I have this terrible habit. I call it “waking up in the middle of my story”. In the hard things in life, it’s when I finally realize the truth of my circumstances and wonder how in the world I got there.
 
Recently, I’m waking up in the middle of a new story. When the reality I’ve been living doesn’t stack up to the truth, I wonder where I could have gone wrong. Why didn’t I see this before? Where was I?
 
When I wake up to discover that our Constitution which states “liberty and justice for all” doesn’t really mean “all”, I’m waking up to the nightmare that is everyday reality for people of color. When I realize that police kill Black people without justification and with impunity, I’m waking up to the horrible reality of police brutality and the injustice in the “justice” system.
 
Systemic racism in the U.S. is real. It has not been eradicated, despite numerous Constitutional amendments, laws, and litigation.*1 Yet, white Americans may view events in the news as racist without seeing the interconnectivity of these events as part of the bigger picture of systemic racism.

Nikole Hannah-Jones, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist, puts it this way:  ”There is a collective grief that Black Americans feel [that] where white Americans have often used these as individual incidences, Black Americans understand that this is part of a collective history and when we see this, we always know that this can happen to our own communities.” She adds, “There is a sense that white Americans will tolerate so much pain, so much suffering, the lack of Black Americans having their civil rights and full citizenship, until something so egregiously horrifying occurs that they can no longer be in denial about that. And I think we're just tired of having to prove our humanity only when the most inhumane thing happens to us."*2

While white people may react defensively, we who live in this society are complicit because we are part of the same community. To paraphrase Tim Keller, author and pastor, the biblical concept of community means that by being part of a community, you share in its responsibility. In a powerful example, Keller says that because no one resisted the Nazi regime, it was successful in killing Jews. Everyone in that society was part of the system. They supported it by participating even when they didn’t know what was happening or when they looked the other way. They were all responsible for it.*3 We are all collectively part of the same society and bear responsibility. And we cannot afford to be silent to injustice. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
 
In our key verse, the prophet Micah does not remain silent about things that matter by calling out the sins of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, specifically the sins of abuse of power, oppression, and injustice.  When the leaders ask Micah what they can do to move back into God’s good graces, Micah tells them what God requires of them. Note that he does not say the following is optional. They are commanded “to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
 
Over the next several posts, we’ll unpack this particular verse. For today, let’s start with the first command. What does it mean to act justly? Justice is truth in motion with a sense of fairness. In order to act with justice, we must first become informed. Just as a jury must hear both sides of the case before making a decision for justice, so should we open-mindedly become informed of the facts.
 
In this digital age, we are bombarded with news on every front. By choosing reputable news sources (and not believing everything we read on social media), we become better informed. By reading books and articles written by sociologists, activists, and other experts, we become particularly informed on the issue of racism and how it has become institutionalized in many parts of our society. White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo is a good place to start. Choosing books by Black authors broadens our perspective. I highly recommend When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and asha bandele. Click here for a downloadable list of suggested readings, videos, and resources.
 
When we seek the truth with an open mind and heart, we realize that the very whiteness of our skin determines in many unjust ways our quality of life. “White privilege” is not so much about what you get as a white person as much as what it protects you from. While white privilege absolutely opens the door to opportunities for education, employment, and wealth creation, it also protects white people from fear of police brutality, from fear of being incarcerated for having done nothing wrong, and from fear that you or your loved one could be shot and killed at any moment for no good reason.
 
Becoming informed is an ongoing process, but just knowing the truth is not enough. We must act on it. Just as faith without works is dead (James 2:26), knowing the truth and not putting it into action is useless. A good place to start is to give your time and resources to organizations that are making a difference. Click here for suggestions. Dr. King said, “Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children. It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment.”*4
 
Liberty and justice for all isn’t a zero-sum game. There is enough for all to live in this country with dignity, respect, and yes, even dreams. The dream of a young, Black pastor assassinated in 1968 for daring to speak up still lives on in this current generation. May we act justly as we work urgently to implement needed changes. And may we all wake up soon in the middle of a new story, one of reconciliation, peace, and liberty and justice for all.
 
  
Lord, You are always on the side of the oppressed and their cries for justice do not go unheeded. Help me remember we all are created in Your image, God, and we are all Your children. Give me eyes to see injustice, the motivation to change it, and the will to act justly in all I say and do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
 
 
NOTE 1:  These include the 13th amendment to abolish slavery, the 14th amendment granting citizenship to former slaves, the 15th amendment granting voting rights to Black men, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Fair Housing Act of 1968, litigation such as Brown v. Board of Education (outlawed segregated schools) and Loving v. Virginia (allowed interracial marriage), plus the Civil Rights Movement itself.
 
NOTE 2:  From Own YouTube Channel, 6/9/20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Le2IQh1uGw
 
NOTE 3:  From Racism and Corporate Evil: A White Guy’s Perspective
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhJJcTKTVGo
 
NOTE 4:  From Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s “I Have a Dream…” speech, 1963
 
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2020 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of the sands at low tide behind Le Mont-Saint-Michel, Normandy, France.
 
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked man; call the evildoer to account for his wickedness that would not otherwise be found out.  Psalm 10:14-15
 
 
My day starts early in order to be one of the first to arrive. A steep ride in a bus with special brakes takes me to the top of this vertical ascent. Walking through a large tunnel adds to the suspense. I step inside the large Art Deco-styled elevator with its shiny brass walls and mirrored ceiling. On the descent downward, my thoughts envision the original owner riding this same elevator. It is not a pleasant thought. The lurch, signifying the elevator has arrived at its destination, jolts me out of my disturbing ruminations. I shift my musings to more positive thoughts.
 
Exiting the grand elevator, I follow the crowd out and around to the outside of the building. The view is unbelievable with mammoth mountain ranges and mysterious lakes covered in fog, all under a canopy of a brilliant blue sky. This breathtaking beauty belies the evil that was once concocted here.
 
Perched atop the rocky peak of Kehlstein Mountain in a tiny corner of Bavaria in southeastern Germany, almost totally surrounded by Austria and only about 30 minutes from Salzburg, sits the Eagle’s Nest. Called Kehlsteinhaus in German, Eagle’s Nest is the mountain-top home that was given to Adolf Hitler by the government in 1939 for his 50th birthday. Today, the house is now a restaurant surrounded by a national park with commanding views of nearby mountains. Down below lies the lovely town of Berchtesgaden and its colorful buildings adorned with frescoed walls, ancient churches, and flowing fountains.
 
As I walk the paths around Eagle’s Nest with my camera at the ready, I admire the incredible views, but I shudder as I think about the evil plans hatched here on this beautiful spot as well in the neighboring valley where one of the Nazi headquarters operated. The violence perpetrated from the execution of those plans impacted tens of millions of people, sending countless to death camps and terrorizing and abusing scores more. Yet no sign exists here that even mentions Hitler. While the information center in Berchtesgaden does contain exhibits on this horrific history, I wonder if there is a desire here in this gorgeous place to forget the nefarious past and its horrors, perhaps to deny that evil reigned here. On the outside, everything looks normal and beautiful.
 
Violence and abuse are not limited to history. Even today, during this pandemic, there is a silent epidemic of domestic abuse. It may not make headlines like masks, testing, and contact tracing. But calls to abuse hotlines are up significantly over normal levels and it’s happening all around the world. Sheltering-in-place takes on a whole different meaning to someone who is a victim of abuse and is now in lockdown mode 24/7 with their abuser. For example, calls to domestic abuse hotlines in Los Angeles are more than double the usual number. Other US cities are seeing similar spikes in call volumes. In the UK, calls are up 66% and website traffic has increased almost 1,000% on domestic abuse help websites. In both the UK and France, local authorities are providing alternative ways for victims to contact the police. If you or someone you know is a victim of either domestic abuse or violence, there are resources that can help (see below).
 
What do we do as a society in the face of domestic violence and abuse? Do we try to ignore it on the grounds that it isn’t happening to us or to anyone we know? Or is it? Perhaps everything on the outside looks normal, but there are far too many homes that hide the evil within. Statistics alone tell us that at least 25% of all marriages are abusive. And abuse does not discriminate. It can happen to anyone.
 
What can we do? We can pray. We can cry out on behalf of those trapped in abuse. Psalm 31:22b says, “Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help.” Sending up prayers to the Almighty God to protect those who are trapped in abuse is something we all can do. Also, giving our resources to local battered women’s shelters can help provide safe haven for many women and their children as they escape their abusers. Supporting domestic abuse hotlines helps increase their capacity to reach those in need.
 
As our key verse says, God sees those in need and sees the crimes committed against them. He will help those who are oppressed and will hold perpetrators accountable. If you are a victim of abuse now or were in the past, know that God sees you. He knows your pain. Turn to Him and He will heal you (Psalm 30:2*). He is powerful to rescue you, too, if you are currently in an abusive relationship. Nothing is impossible with God and He is always on the side of the oppressed (Psalm 103:6**).
 
Just as the evil plans devised at Eagle’s Nest do not define the place today, neither does our past define us. We can stand with God on the beautiful mountain top and know that nothing is so awful that God’s healing power can’t overcome. We are created in God’s image. His love, as seen on the Cross in His Son Jesus, defines who we are and whose we are. We are bought with a price. We are His.
 
 
Lord God Almighty, You are in control even when it seems evil will win. Rescue those trapped in abusive situations. Come to their aid, Lord, and provide protection and healing. Help me to be sensitive to those around me who may be victims of abuse. Use me to help unlock their chains to set them free. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
 
 
*Psalm 30:2 - LORD my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.
 
**Psalm 103:6 - The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
 
 
NOTE: If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse and/or violence, here are some US resources:
 
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available around the clock and in more than 200 languages: call 1-800-799-SAFE or chat with their advocates here or text LOVEIS to 22522. Their website is https://www.thehotline.org/.
 
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) - https://www.ncadv.org/ (Note that NCADV has a “safe exit” button on their website so browsing history to this site cannot be tracked.)

Helping Survivors is a resource center that assists victims of sexual assault or abuse. Their helpful guide to domestic violence and sexual abuse contains information to identify abuse and to help victims. It can be found here: https://helpingsurvivors.org/domestic-violence-and-sexual-abuse/

 
For immediate dangers, call 911.
 
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2020 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photos of the view from Eagle’s Nest, the present-day restaurant that was Eagle’s Nest, and the town of Berchtesgaden, Germany.
 
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Eagle's Nest atop Kehlstein Mountain, Germany:

Berchtesgaden, Germany:

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33
 
 
We are living through unprecedented times. Turning on the news or reading the newsfeeds overwhelms us with the facts, statistics, as well as speculations and predictions of this global pandemic. Feelings of anxiety and fear threaten to overtake us as we just try to make it through another day.
 
Life as we know it has changed. For some of us, we or our loved ones have experienced first-hand this horrific disease. But for all us, we’ve experienced loss on some level.
 
Losses come in different forms. During these turbulent times, we may experience loss of work, loss of income, loss of food security, loss of health, and loss of social contacts. Daily routines are turned upside-down. Schools are closed. Work has gone virtual or is nonexistent. Visiting family and friends is taboo. Even regular exercise has changed. Perhaps the most pervasive loss is that of perceived control over our lives.
 
Grief is working through our sense of loss. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, in her book On Death and Dying, identifies five stages of grief:  denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. While each loss may be different and have varying intensities, seeing losses through the lens of these stages is helpful. Often denial is the first stage, but as we begin to process our grief, we learn that these stages are not necessarily linear, and I would add, that we may not experience each stage with every loss.
 
In processing loss, we first need to acknowledge that we are indeed experiencing a loss. Identifying and naming the specific loss is helpful. After we acknowledge that we suffer a specific loss or losses, then we can begin to work through our grief.
 
Sometimes we get stuck in a particular stage in the grief process. Often depression is where folks get stopped and unable to move forward. With so many small and large losses, we can feel overwhelmed. And we lose hope.
 
Yes, life as we know it has changed. But this pandemic will not last forever. The more we practice shelter-in-place, social distancing, and good hygiene, the sooner we will come through this crisis. And when we do (not if, but when), life may look very different than it did before the pandemic. History tends to repeat itself. If the 1918 influenza pandemic teaches us anything, it shows us that the pandemic will end eventually. Life will go on. It may take a while to recover both physically, emotionally, and financially, but we will recover.
 
Taking the time to stop and process our thoughts and feelings is necessary. We absolutely cannot allow our feelings of fear and anxiety to rule. Focusing our minds on God and what He has to say about fear and anxiety gives us comfort and hope. Click here for a list of Bible verses previously posted on fear and anxiety. When we feel unable to tap into this power, we can seek out a trusted friend or a trusted professional (via Skype, Zoom, or FaceTime) who can help us wiggle out of the chains that emotionally bind us. When we work through our grief, we come out on the other side of it stronger and more resilient. And that, my friend, places us in a position of peace and hope.
 
In John 16, Jesus tells His disciples that He will be going back to the Father. He says that they will experience grief (at His crucifixion), but that their grief will turn to joy (at His resurrection). He comforts them by saying, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
 
There is no loss too big that Jesus cannot overcome. There is no loss too painful that Jesus cannot heal. As we endure the impact of the coronavirus, may we take heart: Jesus has overcome the troubles of this world, including those caused by the pandemic.
 
 
Lord, You know my heart. Help me not give into fear and anxiety but to trust that Your plans never fail. Give me the hope that comes from knowing You indeed have and will continue to overcome the troubles of this world, now and always. Amen.
 
 
Coming soon!!!!!! My new devotional book on grief will be published in the very near future.  Stay tuned for more information. In the meantime, check out my blogs on grief posted previously by viewing archives from July 2014 to September 2015. Click here to begin.
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2020 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of Fitzroy Bay, near Wellington, New Zealand.
 
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.  Ephesians 1:7-8
 
 
As a child, I went to church every Sunday with my family. It was a large urban church and one where my family had attended for generations. During the worship service, we would stand to sing hymns. Every time we sang a hymn where the words spoke of the blood of Jesus, my brother Logan would become faint. It literally made him sick to think about blood, even in a song. One of those hymns is entitled Nothing but the Blood, penned by Robert Lowry in 1876. The first verse is:
 
What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
 
Growing up, I’m sure I sung that hymn many times (and even as an adult) and never fully grasp the powerful meaning behind the words. As a young child, I’m sure my brother didn’t fully understand either as he focused only on the word “blood”. How ironic it is that years later, he became a paramedic and served the community in that capacity for almost 30 years!
 
God does have a sense of humor and irony is often the medium. On Easter morning, I opened my devotional book to discover the title of that day’s reading was “Risen”. Ironic. Or maybe it was just one of many coincidences God orchestrates to get my attention. In this chapter, the author* uses the analogy of antibodies in blood to represent Christ’s work on earth and on the Cross. In this season of pandemic, as I read the word “antibodies”, it leapt off the page. Antibodies are proteins that develop in blood as a response to infection. They help the body to fight the infection, but they also linger on to be at the ready to fight again should that disease invade once more. What I find curious is the analogy: antibodies to fight infection are compared to Jesus and His resurrection power.
 
When Jesus left heaven to be born in a manger as a baby, He purposefully put on human flesh with all of its constraints. Although Jesus never sinned, He was exposed to the sin of this world. On the Cross at Calvary, Jesus took on all the sin from every one of us. He died a horrific, excruciating death by crucifixion. His bloody sacrifice paid the penalty for our sins - every wrong thought, word, and deed, including trying to live life without God. Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead. His resurrection overcame the bonds of death, secured our salvation from God’s judgment, and allowed us to have a relationship with God the Father.
 
Just like the antibodies in our bloodstream protect us from disease, Jesus’ power through His death and resurrection protects us from sin and death. When we invite Jesus to be our Savior, His blood cleanses us of our sins. When we acknowledge Him as Lord, His resurrection power enables us to live the abundant life He offers now and forever. It doesn’t mean we will never sin again, but we hold in our spirits the power that gives us strength to resist temptation, much like antibodies in our bloodstream give our bodies the strength to resist disease. When we fall short and ask Jesus for forgiveness (1 John 1:8-9**), He readily forgives us, for He has already paid the price for our sins, for sins past, present, and future.
 
Jesus willingly exposed Himself to the sin and death of this world in order to save and protect us. By acknowledging His redemptive power created through the bloody work on the Cross, we share in His power to overcome - to overcome the sin that so entangles us, to be free to live and love in ways that honor God, and to enjoy the abundant life that He so freely offers.
 
In a time when most of us are sheltered at home, it is indeed Good News that we have a Savior who came and redeemed us by His blood shed for us on the Cross. While tempers may flare, frustrations may run rampant, and hurtful words may be spoken, know you can be forgiven. You have the power within you through Christ to overcome temptation, even in the worst of times. When we are consumed with worry over our health, loved ones, jobs, and economic situations, we can trust the One who overcame. When we choose to live under His lavish grace, purchased for us through His blood, we can experience the abundant life through the fruit of His Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
 
May the blood of Christ take on new meaning for you in this Easter season and may you have hope of overcoming. Through Jesus’ sacrificial death and powerful resurrection, and by His blood shed for you, you have the power and strength to be who God desires you to be. May you sing these words with understanding and grasp the truth behind them: What can wash away my sin? What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
 
 
Dear Jesus, thank You for washing away my sins and for making me whole again through Your blood shed for me. Forgive me when I think, speak, and act in ways that are hurtful to others and not honoring to You. Help me claim Your resurrection power to overcome any obstacles I face now. Show me how to cultivate the fruits of the Spirit in my life today. By Your grace, I pray. Amen.
 
 
*Jennifer Kennedy Dean in Prized.
 
**1 John 1:8-9: If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
 
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2020 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of the Church of Saint-Séverin in the Latin Quarter of Paris, France.
 
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

There he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel, because it was there that God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.  Genesis 35:7
 
 
I’m an old movie buff. I’ll take a movie from the 1930’s-1950’s any day over a contemporary film. With life as we know grinding to a halt due to the coronavirus, I find myself with a bit more inclination for movie-watching.
 
In the 1954 Hitchcock thriller Rear Window, James Stewart plays Jeff, a photographer who is home-bound with a broken leg. Bored from being cooped up at home, Jeff turns to spying on his neighbors with his camera and binoculars from his window at the back of his apartment. He becomes convinced that he’s witnessed a murder. While the plot continues in true suspenseful Hitchcock style, Jeff portrays a man ruled by his deep-seated fears. But he also deals with his fears of the immediate danger of suddenly being pursued by his murderous neighbor. He is helpless to defend himself. He cannot protect his fiancée, played by Grace Kelly, when she enters the presumed murderer’s apartment.
 
Rear Window speaks volumes about voyeurism as well as the society during which it was made. However, it also speaks to our own fears and curiosities. In a time when many in this country and around the world are mandated to stay at home, we, too, can feel bored and “cooped up”.  We, too, can be overly curious and even obsessed about what’s going on around us and in the world by staying glued to the news. We rationalize that the more we know, the more we can control. We, too, can experience fear as we look through our own rear window and realize we live in uncertain times and in circumstances beyond our control. Our perspective, like Jeff’s in Rear Window, can become narrowly focused on our sudden confinement as we practice extreme, but necessary, social distancing, while we harbor feelings of fear. But unlike Jeff, we don’t have to choose to react in fear.
 
On another level, there are lessons to be learned through metaphoric rear windows. This backward-looking perspective can aid us as we peer through the windshield and glance out the side windows.
 
In Genesis 35, God directs Jacob to move his family to Bethel and to build an altar to the Lord. This altar is a specific reminder to Jacob and his people that God delivered him when his brother Esau pursued Jacob with the intent to harm him. But this physical altar of stacked stones also reminds Jacob of how God was always with him in past difficulties and that He will surely be with him in the future. In looking back at God’s faithfulness, Jacob has the courage to look forward to the future.
 
Looking back, we, too, can see more clearly where we’ve traveled through life to get to where we are now. We can see through the rear window how God worked on our behalf. Believing He is faithful, we carry that faith forward to help us navigate through uncertainty and difficult circumstances. When we see how God has worked in our lives in the past, gratitude has room to surface in our hearts to replace fear. Even joy – yes, joy - can grow when we thank God for how He has cared for us in the past. We trust He will care for us in the future when we cast our anxiety on Him (1 Peter 5:7*). We don’t have to give into fear because we know that God is with us in all circumstances (Joshua 1:9**). While fear may try to worm its way back into our minds and hearts, with a mind focused on God and His faithfulness and a heart overflowing with joy and gratitude, fear can be left by the wayside, seen only through the rear window.
 
 
Lord God, as I reflect on the past, I thank You for the ways You have worked in my life. You are faithful and I do not need to be fearful. Fill my heart and my mind with gratitude and joy as You lead me through the difficulties of the present and the uncertainties of the future. Amen.
 
 
*1 Peter 5:7  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
 
**Joshua 1:9  “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
 
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2020 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of winding road to Mt Difficulty winery in Central Otago, New Zealand.
 
NOTE: Interested in learning about the similarities between this current pandemic and the 1918 pandemic of influenza? I highly recommend the short, but informative book The Influenza Pandemic of 1918 by Virginia Aronson (available for free from the app Internet Archive or https://archive.org/). If you’d prefer a synopsis, click here for my essay on the 1918 pandemic based on facts from this book.
 
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”  Luke 8:22-25
 
On Monday, after returning from a trip, I do my grocery shopping. I buy the usual items, including the typical pack of toilet paper. On Thursday, I stop by my local supermarket for a couple of items that I realized I had not bought earlier. Upon entering the store, I’m checking my phone for my very short grocery list when I hear a man passing by with his cart say, “I’ve never seen a grocery store so crowded!” I look up from my phone and my eyes fall on the numerous check-out lines, each several persons deep with each customer’s cart filled to overflowing. Having been away from home for a while as I traveled to a country that had been untouched by the coronavirus, it takes me a second to realize what I’m seeing:  hoarding, with the underlying emotions of panic, fear, and anxiety.
 
I begin my shopping with the basket slung over my arm as I weave in and out of the mob of shoppers, each pushing a full cart loaded up with all kinds of items. I have to wonder if they truly need all of them. By this time, I’m wondering if I’m missing something by my lack of panic. When I notice that the pasta aisle is 75% cleared out, I do ask myself if I need any pasta but decide I don’t. After placing the 5 or 6 items I’m buying in my basket, I go to the check-out counter where I’m thankful to see the express lane, now converted into self-checkout, has a short line. It’s not until I’m home and am texting a friend on the East coast who tells me there is no toilet paper where she is that I realize I should have checked out the toilet paper aisle at the store. Just out of curiosity, of course!
 
The next day I read in my newsfeeds about the panic over toilet paper. Apparently, when told to stock up on household supplies to last a couple of weeks, people instantly gravitate toward hoarding toilet paper. According to this article, by hoarding this commodity, we feel a sense of control, like we’ve done all we can do to protect ourselves from this pandemic called CoVid-19 or coronavirus.
 
The reality is we have not. Nor can we. We can take precautionary measures and I’m all for that, like social distancing and hand sanitizing. But the reality is we are not in control of this coronavirus of epic proportions. But I know Someone who is.
 
God. God alone is in control of this world when the globe seems to spin out of control. That’s true when times are normal and it’s definitely true during this most unusual time. While fear of uncertainty and fear of the unknown are normal human feelings, we don’t have to surrender to our fears.
 
When the disciples head across the Sea of Galilee, a storm rips across the waters, tossing the boat and creating a lot of fear and panic in the hearts of these followers of Jesus. Exhausted from teaching and healing, Jesus is sleeping in the stern of the boat, seemingly heedless of the waves rocking the small vessel. As their boat fills up with water, the disciples, realizing they are in serious trouble, wake their Master. It’s almost as if He is their last resort. Jesus stands up in the boat and sharply tells the wind and the waves to stop. Miraculously, they do. Even though the disciples have witnessed other miracles by Jesus, they are still amazed at His power and authority over the sea and the wind. Jesus rebukes His disciples for the small amount of faith they have. Perhaps Jesus allowed them to experience fear for a time so they can learn that it is through Jesus that storms are calmed and fears arrested. Maybe they should have woken Him up first before trying to bail the water out of the boat by themselves.
 
For those of us who profess Jesus as our Savior, how big is our faith? Do we have faith enough to believe He is Lord of ALL of our difficult circumstances? Are we, like the disciples, trying to bail water in this current pandemic on our own while we forget Jesus is in the boat with us? He alone has the power to calm our anxious hearts and give us peace.
 
We have a choice. We can choose to give into fear, panic, and hoarding. Or, we can choose to trust the One who calmed the waves and the wind to calm the storm raging in and around us.
 
One way to rebuke the fear and receive God’s peace is to focus on who God is and how we have hope in Him. We can do this by parking our minds on God and His Word. See previous blog entitled Alphabet Prayers (posted 1/1/20) for attributes of God on which to focus. Also, click here for a free, downloadable PDF of Bible verses that speak to overcoming fear and receiving His peace and hope. Select a verse (or two) and read or recite it when fear threatens to overcome you.
 
May we be people of faith, not fear. May we be generous and giving, rather than selfish and hoarding. May we hold onto peace rather than panic. P-a-n-d-e-m-i-c doesn’t have to spell P-a-n-i-c. When we add God to our perspective, with just another “e” for Elohim (Hebrew for God), it can spell P-e-a-c-e.
 
 
Jesus, You are Lord over all, including this coronavirus and my fears. Give me Your perspective and hope. Grow my faith so that I can experience peace instead of panic. When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. Amen.
 
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2020 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of Lake Hayes, near Arrowtown, South Island, New Zealand.
 
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™