Eghersis
is a transliteration of the Greek word, εγερσις, which has the meaning of being roused to life. Thus, it is my hope that what you find on this blog will empower, arouse, stimulate, excite, and animate your life--your soul, your spirit--the wholeness of who you are.


Thursday, December 10, 2009

Joseph Marries Into God's Future

"Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."

Again, the words "do not fear" appear in the advent story. First, to Mary, now, to Joseph. Joseph's dream is a dream of courage, of moving beyond fear. It is a dream to act courageously and to banish fear.

How does one do that? Banish fear? To not fear? Can that willfully be done? Or does one just act despite the throes of fear?

I have been afraid, and I don't think that I could willfully throw off fear. But I have acted despite fear, and in the midst of acting, found that fear quietly fell away. The hardest part of acting when fearful is making that first move toward action while still afraid. Fear seems to be greatest just before the grand decision to act is made. Maybe that is what the angel is saying to Joseph.

Maybe the angel is telling Joseph to throw off fear by making a decision. And then, the angel tells him which decision to make and why. I imagine that once Joseph resolved to marry into God's future, his fear fell away and trust replaced it.

1 comment:

Larry C said...

Fear is a very complex emotion. Primal fear, psychological fear and experiential fear all can be overcome using the power of the mind and by our modifying behavior and our environment.

The fear of "not knowing" is so very different. To overcome this fear one has to be able to act on faith. Jesus constantly encourages us to believe in Him. Challenging us to suppress emotions and fear and act consciously out of love.

I believe there must be a space between the inner emotional, impulsive self and the outer self that relates to society and defines my place and relevance in this world.

This is the space Christ creates in me and then fills with the power of the Holy Spirit. Far too often I force my impulses and emotions through that space not allowing time for the Holy Spirit to work. Waiting for Christ can mean many things.

Thank you for provoking thought and adding depth and meaning to the Season of Advent.

Blog Archive