psalm 128: being afraid - 33rd Sunday A 2017
I was
watching national geographic last week and it featured some unique creatures
under the sea. One of these is the sea
cucumber. Analyzing its behavior they
concluded that sea cucumber are not afraid of anything. They just go about their placid ways among
the corals without fear of predators. It
does not seem to fear anything, not even the animals that threaten its
life. When they analyzed its physiologically
they found out that sea cucumbers have no brains. Thus the scientific conclusion is, they are
not afraid because they have no brains.
But there is
another person this time in the psalm who is also afraid of his Lord and master
but instead of fear paralyzing him into inaction, it allowed him, it motivated
him to do good. His fear of God allowed
him to walk in the ways of God, his fear of God motivated him to do what is
just, to do what is right.
Fear is a gift. If one is not afraid he is a sea cucumber, if
one is not afraid of anything it is because he does not have a brain. But like all gifts fear can be put to good use
or it can be misused. It can lead you to
act or it can leave one to inaction. You
can use it to encourage yourself, to think harder, to put more effort into
something. Or it can be used in such a
way that one get paralyzed – bahala na, kon ano lang da ang matup-an.
Getting in
touch with your fears is part of the discerning process – am I proceeding or not,
am I taking the regency or am I leaving for good. Express your fears. It's ok to be afraid. Remember you are afraid because unlike the
sea cucumber you have a brain.
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