Living Unafraid

Some thoughts from Walter Brueggemann’s Lenten devotional, A Way Other Than Our Own:

The unafraid are open to the neighbor, while the frightened are defending themselves from the neighbor.

The unafraid are generous in the community, while the frightened, in their anxiety, must keep and store and accumulate, to make themselves safe.

The unafraid commit acts of compassion and mercy, while the frightened do not notice those in need.

The unafraid are committed to justice for the weak and the poor, while the frightened see them only as threats.

The unafraid pray in the morning, care through the day, and rejoice at night in thanks and praise, while the frightened are endlessly restless and dissatisfied.

Lord, move us from fear and anxiety. Empower us to live lives of wholeness. Let us turn the world upside down through bold living in your name and by your Spirit. Amen.