What do angels say? Don't be Afraid. Every time it seems. Zana, who took her part in the Christmas play seriously as an angel, studied angel words carefully and she conscientiously yells out whenever an angel appears in a story, "Don't be Afraid." She disagreed with the ESV when the angels started speaking in English as she felt the Latin of Glooooooooria got at the very essence of their verbiage. She recanted on her strong position but holds on "Don't Be afraid." against "Fear Not."
We have so much to be afraid of. Let me say it. There is A LOT out there to be afraid of. A friend has been writing about lead in her spices. She tried to do her own drying and grinding but a fat lot of good that will do her when there is lead permeating the ground. And if you aren't afraid of metal like Super Man..... wait forget that idea. If you aren't afraid of that there are thieves, germs, rabies, wild dogs, crazy people, evil people, milk that kills you, worms that can get into your brain........... the list goes on. We are exhorted not to fear the fearful by Peter and reading that verse on the cusp of Christmas set me up for a conversation about fear.
It was Christmas. Christmas. Night. Imagine a group of eleven people sitting on a single bed and three chairs. Imagine us all snacking greasy finger food wearing sparkly clothes knee to knee with a baby cooing and kids playing out in the ungan space with a ball with bells. Imagine the smell of curry and body odor and rose water perfume. Imagine four groups of strangers in the mix. The mom of the little baby also has a son who is six. I comment on the gap of five years. Laughing I say "What a gift from God!"
With a shrug and a smile which belies her sad eyes she says, "I lost a son. He was born and then died three days later. He was born healthy."
"I am so sorry. What happened?"
"My older brother's wife cursed him."
An older Auntie made a hiss noise in derision. "Don't say such things. I lost two children. One was a girl."
"She cursed him. She was jealous."
We sit in sadness.
"I am sorry. This happening is a sad thing."
The Auntie interjects again, "Allah wills it and it happens. Let us leave this now and talk about other things."
She was in my home for the first time and her husband is a special friend to my husband. I obeyed her bidding. But talked with her later and also the lovely young mother. However it was a third party that gave me the most interesting conversation of the bunch.
There is an evil eye but this cursing is deeper. A conjuring up of evil against another. As we talked and I asked questions to delve deeper into understanding she looked around to see if others were listening. No one was in my home. Her fear was tangible. I could taste it, or even smell it.
After wadding around in her understanding of evil and the mass understanding of evil and other issues revolving around this reality in many woman's lives I shared the birth story. The words "Do not be Afraid," are for Zechariah, Mary, the Shepherds, Joseph because somehow angels must be a bit startling but they also are for all mankind. We need not be afraid for the baby came and took away the eternal power of the evil forces conjured up steal, and destroy.
So friends....as Zana would shout "Do not be Afraid." or "Fear Not."
We have so much to be afraid of. Let me say it. There is A LOT out there to be afraid of. A friend has been writing about lead in her spices. She tried to do her own drying and grinding but a fat lot of good that will do her when there is lead permeating the ground. And if you aren't afraid of metal like Super Man..... wait forget that idea. If you aren't afraid of that there are thieves, germs, rabies, wild dogs, crazy people, evil people, milk that kills you, worms that can get into your brain........... the list goes on. We are exhorted not to fear the fearful by Peter and reading that verse on the cusp of Christmas set me up for a conversation about fear.
It was Christmas. Christmas. Night. Imagine a group of eleven people sitting on a single bed and three chairs. Imagine us all snacking greasy finger food wearing sparkly clothes knee to knee with a baby cooing and kids playing out in the ungan space with a ball with bells. Imagine the smell of curry and body odor and rose water perfume. Imagine four groups of strangers in the mix. The mom of the little baby also has a son who is six. I comment on the gap of five years. Laughing I say "What a gift from God!"
With a shrug and a smile which belies her sad eyes she says, "I lost a son. He was born and then died three days later. He was born healthy."
"I am so sorry. What happened?"
"My older brother's wife cursed him."
An older Auntie made a hiss noise in derision. "Don't say such things. I lost two children. One was a girl."
"She cursed him. She was jealous."
We sit in sadness.
"I am sorry. This happening is a sad thing."
The Auntie interjects again, "Allah wills it and it happens. Let us leave this now and talk about other things."
She was in my home for the first time and her husband is a special friend to my husband. I obeyed her bidding. But talked with her later and also the lovely young mother. However it was a third party that gave me the most interesting conversation of the bunch.
There is an evil eye but this cursing is deeper. A conjuring up of evil against another. As we talked and I asked questions to delve deeper into understanding she looked around to see if others were listening. No one was in my home. Her fear was tangible. I could taste it, or even smell it.
After wadding around in her understanding of evil and the mass understanding of evil and other issues revolving around this reality in many woman's lives I shared the birth story. The words "Do not be Afraid," are for Zechariah, Mary, the Shepherds, Joseph because somehow angels must be a bit startling but they also are for all mankind. We need not be afraid for the baby came and took away the eternal power of the evil forces conjured up steal, and destroy.
So friends....as Zana would shout "Do not be Afraid." or "Fear Not."
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