Do Not Be Afraid

I can't write on the assigned texts for today.
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I can't walk today pretending that the most important thing that happened last night was a vice-presidential debate. I am frustrated that the headlines about the debate top the headlines about Hurricane Matthew.
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This morning, my heart breaks for my brothers and sisters in Haiti and Cuba.
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Haiti is still attempting to recover from the disastrous earthquake that hit there in 2010. 200,000 people died in that earthquake. To put that in perspective, 1,836 people died in Hurricane Katrina.
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As I face these numbers, and the human reality behind them, I simply fall silent. There are times it is clear we need divine peace. This is one of them.
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19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear...Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. (John 20:19-22)
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There was plenty for the disciples to fear when Jesus spoke these words. Jesus had been crucified, and the disciples were locked in out of fear that those who killed Jesus would be coming for them.
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Jesus speaks peace, not as a naive "band-aid," but as a very real promise of his presence in a very real situation of fear. The statement of "peace" is very quickly followed by the gift of the Holy Spirit, the presence of God never farther away than our breath.
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Likewise, there is much to fear, not only in Cuba and Haiti, but also in the coastal areas of the United States. We heard last night that Jessica's aunt and uncle who visited over sabbatical, may have to evacuate today. By the time it fades, Hurricane Matthew will have affected the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.
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But into THAT, Christ speaks "peace." Into THAT, Christ breathes Spirit.
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Like a parent comforting a child, Christ doesn't promise to fix it. Christ promises to never leave, through the gift of the Spirit.
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Today, may we unite in prayer for the people of Cuba, Haiti, and the coastal U.S.
Tomorrow, and in the weeks and months that follow, may we trust Christ's peace enough to be willing to be a part of it. May we dedicate ourselves...not to fixing it...that's beyond our control...may we dedicate ourselves to carrying the presence of the Spirit with us as we bring hope, healing, clean water, and food...in whatever ways we can.
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Christ, may you use those of us safe from this storm to be your peace; may you use those of us who not afraid to bring the presence of your Spirit to those who are.