Brian’s Reflection: Tuesday, March 25, 2008


Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only
to be understood. Now is the time to understand
more, so that we may fear less.

- Madame Marie Curie


One of the things that Christianity offers to the World is that Gratefulness is at the heart of Life. The heart of Christian worship is the Eucharist – “giving thanks” for God’s love, for liberation from the power of sin and death, for Life. I get a daily email called “Word for the Day” from www.gratefulness.org , and Madame Curie was today. Things like this help to keep me focused on how I want to see Life.

“Understand” isn’t just about the intellect, though that can help. It does, for example, help to understand that people with Alzheimer’s disease are not behaving rationally and that we should not be “offended”. Or that Gayfolk are just being themselves, not “choosing” to be “perverse”. Understanding happens on many levels. Especially in the heart. Life is unpredictable. Life is a Mystery. People are a Mystery. God is a Mystery. Shit Happens - and that covers a lot of areas! Joy “happens” too. And Wonder. And Beauty. And Laughter.

God wants us to be free of Fear. So we can Live. Jesus kept saying it, angels kept saying it: Be Not Afraid! (I’m not a fan of most popular religious song, but I love the one that goes Be not afraid / I go before you always/Come follow me / and I will give you rest.) So the Gospel keeps saying in various ways, “Understand”. Accept Reality. Especially mortality. Once we understand that we are not fundamentally “in control”, we are free from a lot of fear. And Life opens up.

Understand. Fear less. Be grateful. Go for it!

Brian+