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Beloveds,

In August 2019, I wrote “Do Not Be Afraid” for the UCC Mental Health Network. I saw a world where human dignity felt disposable amid violence and fear. I hoped we might learn, change, and turn toward justice.

Though years have passed, little has changed—so we return to these questions anew.

Today, cruelty is defended as policy. Fear is used for power. Some communities are told their lives matter less. Immigrants are scapegoated. LGBTQ+ people are targeted. Communities of color still suffer under unaccountable systems. None of this happens by accident. These are the results of choices, structures, and silence.

Scripture does not call us to be comfortable with this.

“Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
do not be discouraged, for I am your God.”
(Isaiah 41:10)

These words are not meant to soothe us into complacency but to strengthen us for resistance.

Faith refuses to normalize harm to God’s people. It does not mistake peace for quiet or unity for avoidance. Hope does not pretend things are better than they are. Hope insists injustice cannot define our future.

To say “do not be afraid” now is not to deny fear. It is to refuse to let fear decide who we love, protect, or ignore.

As we enter February, may our faith ground us. Let us be a congregation that tells the truth, stands with the vulnerable, and actively pursues justice and love in our daily lives. Reach out to support those who are suffering, speak out for those who are targeted, and, together, participate in acts of solidarity within our community.

While fear may shape the world, we can choose a greater power—faith, hope, and love. Let us be the people who meet fear with courage and justice, refusing to be formed by the world’s anxiety, and instead shaping the world with God’s vision for mercy and restoration.

Blessings,

Rev. Gilbert

Link to original article: "Do Not Be Afraid"