As the Nativity of our Lord approaches, God continues to send his holy angels with the exhortation, "Do not be afraid!"
In response to the part of us that might be tempted to imagine God as a legalistic judge who is trying to catch us being bad, we need to hear the reminder, "Do not be afraid!" The Christ child waits for us to draw close to the manger in Bethlehem so that he can reach out and grab hold of our finger with his perfect little hand.
In response to the part of us that might think God just wants us to try to be a nice person (if and when we can), we need to hear the reassurance, "Do not be afraid!" Mary and Joseph prove that the path of holiness is possible for anyone who is ready with a humble "yes" to the Presence among us, moment-by-moment and day-by-day.
In response to the part of us that might imagine God as somewhere "out there," indifferent to our worries and sufferings, we need to hear the invitation: "Do not be afraid!" The Nativity scene calls us to lay our burdens before the Child in swaddling clothes, since he knows that we come not with gold, frankincense or myrrh, but only with our "issues."
In response to the part of us that might whisper we are not worthy to live in friendship with God, we need to hear the rebuke, "Do not be afraid!" After all, Jesus is born to die not because we are already perfect but because the gift of his grace makes us absolutely perfectible.
In response to the part of us consumed by compulsive coping mechanisms and craven by disordered consumption, the God who IS simply smiles: In the pre-verbal Word made flesh, whom Mary and Joseph carry forward into history, we encounter the reason for our hope; we then head out to share the conviction with all those we meet--"Do not be afraid!"
