The Reflective ChristianVoorbeeld

Be Afraid! Last morning as I alighted from my train for work, I heard a young man’s hurried voice behind me speaking into his phone. He brazenly said, “I’m in the rickshaw now. I had to wait a long time to get one, and I ‘should’ reach there soon”. I turned around to get a glimpse of this spontaneously creative character! Was he just being extra optimistic ahead of time? Prophesying or making a faith assertion? To me it sounded like a ‘good’ old L-I-E! By now, you are thinking that I’m another fanatical, fundamental, judgemental, agent of hate! Hmm… So much for judgment! My innocuous intention, however, is to understand the why of such human behaviour. He sure was running late, looked suited up for an interview, had to be someplace, sometime, and he was not. Hence, the desperate brazen defense! The one plausible explanation that seemed obvious to me was, F-E-A-R. Of what? Of being pulled up, yelled at, losing a job, of being shamed? Shall we simply say, “of Man”? Moments later, I turned my analysis inwards. Would I do a similar thing? The answer was a sobering "Yes!" Lies – Black and White, Yellow and Blue, All possible shades – In my kitty too?! Again, the big question: But, why? On top of the charts was F-E-A-R again. Of what? Shall we just say in broad strokes “of Man”? Is that why the Good Book says, “the FEAR of man is a snare"? Should we not rather FEAR the Awesome One, Who’s able to ‘preserve’, both body and soul? Be afraid…Be very afraid (Ecclesiastes 12:13)!