“And the Angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.’”Luke 2:10

It is Christmas, and we again celebrate the birth of Jesus. According to the Bible, these words were spoken by an angel on the night of Jesus’s birth.   In fact, the word’s “do not be afraid” are repeated throughout the Bible as they are in many spiritual texts, as a gateway to experiencing the presence of God.

As I reflect on the world, fear is indeed one of the primary walls which prevent us from creating, and experiencing heaven on earth.

Fear can be pervasive. Fear of the future. Fear of the past. Fear of the other.

Fear causes us to react with our heads, not our hearts. We isolate ourselves. We lash out. We enact childish games of revenge, which typically only ever exacerbates the problem at hand. We become greedy and hoard wealth and resources, just in case.

At its core, fear is a primeval instinct to protect our survival. For most of us, however, thankfully our physical survival is very rarely on the line. Instead, it is the survival of some perception of ourselves, our ego, a pride an image which exists only in our minds. Fear also causes us to act irrationally about something that hasn’t even happened, but somehow we convince ourselves that it “might”.

Imagine, just for a moment, that you are no longer afraid. Of anything. Not other people, not of what might happen in the future. Not afraid of getting ill, or how your illness might progress, and not even afraid of death. Really listen to, and trust in, your image of God  as He/She urges you- “do not be afraid”.

One of the best antidotes to fear is to simply live in the present moment. The basis of most fear is that something “is going to happen”. When we live in the present, we experience what is actually happening. What is happening in the moment is usually OK. Actually more than OK if we take an objective look around us and think about each blessing and each opportunity presented to us to share our love.

When we remove the barrier of fear, love can take its place. We stop projecting our fear onto the world and we see the world through lenses of beauty, curiosity, compassion and love.

This holiday season, do not be afraid. Be present to the blessings around you. Be compassionate with those who are very different. Allow peace and joy to fill your heart, and, through you, the hearts of others.

Merry Christmas, and blessings of peace, joy and love to all of you.

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.  We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:18-19