Remember the words of the human God and of all the angels: “Do not be afraid.”
That’s not a command. That’s a promise: I (we) are here and our presence means nothing can harm you or separate you from us, not now, not ever.
That’s not a command. That’s a promise: I (we) are here and our presence means nothing can harm you or separate you from us, not now, not ever.
I think a misreading of these “Do not fear” texts is to assume that the obligation is now on us to never fear what we face or what we are going through, when it’s far closer to: “I’ve got you” and “I’ve got this.”
When a large, barking dog appears on the trail between my grandchildren and I, they draw close to me, or climb into my arms, and I say, “Don’t be afraid.”
They still see the narrowed eyes, and the bared teeth, and they hear the growl. They are still naturally alarmed, but in my arms they trust—they don’t know, they trust—that no matter what happens I have them.
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