And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Mark 4:39 KJV
We used to go decades or at least 5 years before we could find a fresh fear. Growing up I was used to hiding under my school desk as we practiced nuclear devastation and the consequences it would mete on our cities.
There are those of us who could not afford an underground shelter and the Subway stations were at least a 1/2 mile away from our homes. Those in the suburbs had underground shelters full of food and water. They were ready to emerge after nuclear destruction to a world that had no infrastructure or safe air.
And then of course there were the riots and the sixties that were occurring all over our nation.
Those fears kept us unven for prolonged periods of time, however, we had also long periods of respite between them.
The 911 attack paralyzed us. The financial crisis of 2008 didn’t help.
It seems that fresh fear comes at increasingly shorter intervals. We move constantly from Enola, swine flu, Middle Eastern respiratory virus, South Asia respiratory virus, and now the Corona virus.
It isn’t enough that I am fearful of being shot by showing up to church going out to shop getting on an airplane or even playing on the school playground. Fresh fears are everywhere.
Then of course we fanned the flames of discord and dissent nations against nations with prolonged wars and our environmental problems of global warming.
Simple things like HIV and AIDS or tuberculosis don’t seem to really matter. We can quickly get over the tsunami, tornado, hurricane, earthquake and mud slide because it recedes into distant memory with the never ending forest fires, landslides and mass flooding. The locusts, famines and mass rapes and kidnappings are things we can get over after a good meal.
The tainted spinach with E. Coli and heroin overdoses don’t matter.
We keep experiencing fresh fears. Christians keep saying that the world is coming to an end within their lifetime. We are supposed to be the people who expect the world to end and not be afraid.
This fresh fear reminds me that God is still in control of all creation. He has never left us alone to the winds of fate although we may be caught up in the storms of life. Indeed the storms of life can destroy our bodies. However, our souls are not within the storm. Our souls are in His hands.
For every fresh fear I must find fresh faith. I must find faith that no matter what event unfolds.
God would not leave us to this ever assorted and never ending cycle of fresh fear. He has promised never to leave us alone.
If someone tells you that the world is coming to an end just nod in agreement. Indeed the world will come to an end. But no one knows the day or the hour.
Encourage one another. Withhold the embrace until the all clear is sounded. But until then, when fear comes to the door send faith to answer.
For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Hebrews 13:5 KJV