“No coward soul is mine.
No trembler in the world’s storm-troubled sphere.
I see Heaven’s glories shine,
And faith shines equal,
arming me from fear.”
(Emily Jane Bronte)
Dear Friends,
It goes without saying we live in fearful times. And then we come to church and hear Scripture talk of unsurpassed distress and days of dark tribulation. We come to the end of a church year darkened by thoughts of the end and fearful that somehow maybe we are at that end time.
We don’t know when the end will come or how it will happen, but we are encouraged by our call to faith to live each moment as if it were our last, not in fear, but in determination that, despite what happens outside of our lives, our inner disposition will remain consistent. No coward souls are we!
I have been praying for courage lately as so much comes across my plate that reminds me of the frailty of human experience and complexity of human living. The courage I seek is not that troubles will cease. They have a crazy resiliency in always popping up in all sorts of new ways! No, I seek courage to stay even-tempered and peaceful, living from the inside, rooted in Jesus Christ and his great love and promise of new life and hope.
So dear friends—pray for each other. Pray for our world. Pray for courage and strength and resolve not to let fear be our guiding light, but the love of Jesus Christ!
Sincerely, with love,
Fr. Tim