In the long passage this Sunday’s lectionary reading is from, often called the ‘Farewell Discourses,’ Jesus both says goodbye to his friends and preps them for his absence. In this sense, he’s also preparing us. A theme throughout all of it, is how connected we are to Jesus—like a vine to the branches. Not only are we connected to him through our traditions and scripture, and through community, but Jesus tells us the Holy Spirit, the here-and-now presence of God, is with us and in us always. Jesus emphasizes that he continues to be present through the Spirit. And the Spirit is as close as our own hearts.
This is especially meaningful for me at times when I’m experiencing fear and insecurity. In these times, ninety-nine percent of me wants uncertainty and threat to end as quickly as possible. But a tiny part of me recognizes the life of faith requires struggle; such times are like practice. I am reminded of a quote by the writer Anne Lamott, where she says, “The opposite of faith is not doubt. The opposite of faith is certainty.” Faith grows strong and vital only in thickets of uncertainty. It’s there that the faith muscle strengthens.
Something Has Gone Wrong
At times of struggle, I have a great appreciation for the justice Psalms, like Psalm 5: “Give ear to my words, O Lord; hear my sighing”—here, the Psalmist is angry at how power is being misused. The Psalmist continues:
Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness
because of my enemies;
make your way straight before me.
For there is no truth in their mouths;
their hearts are destruction;
their throats are open graves;
they flatter with their tongues.
Make them bear their guilt, O God;
let them fall by their own counsels;
because of their many transgressions cast them out,
for they have rebelled against you.
The Psalms often tell us what Jesus is saying in John 14—that God is deeply present with us during injustice and in difficult times. For example, in the familiar words of Psalm 23: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. I imagine reassurance is needed here because something has gone wrong.
The shepherd of this psalm is like Jesus in John 14, telling his friends, “My peace I give to you.” He’s saying this because they are afraid.
The God the psalmist is showing us, and that Jesus reveals, is our beacon and touchstone. This God provides a way through danger and leads the way. I picture a shepherd who is strong and comforting and smiling.
But I still think the disciples, and the audience of Psalm 23, struggled with fear.
Trusting God’s Presence During Uncertainty
As Jesus knew at the time of farewell to his disciples, so the Psalmist knew: evil is real. That’s why the words in Psalm 23 are so radical. They read, “I will fear no evil because God is with me.” The times I’ve most needed to hear this, to be reminded that God never leaves me, are when I’ve confronted evil and am, in fact, afraid.
We have the full presence of God with us and in us at all times. In our passage in John, Jesus says “Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” I don’t know about you, but the only way I know to address fear is by putting my trust in God’s constant presence.
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Wren, winner of a 2022 Independent Publishers Award Bronze Medal
Winner of the 2022 Independent Publisher Awards Bronze Medal for Regional Fiction; Finalist for the 2022 National Indie Excellence Awards. (2021) Paperback publication of Wren , a novel. “Insightful novel tackles questions of parenthood, marriage, and friendship with finesse and empathy … with striking descriptions of Oregon topography.” —Kirkus Reviews (2018) Audiobook publication of Wren.
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