Monstrous Fear, Quiet Faith

The words “Grandad” and “Grandma” are heard frequently in the Vicarage at the moment as we are addressed by our grandson who is staying with us and has many questions. Many of the questions are about dinosaurs, which are currently very popular with many children, and I have to admit that we do not know many of the answers. There are dinos we have never heard of and I struggle to remember their complicated Latin names. Happily an under-four lad can put us straight.

I am not sure about the appeal of the dinosaurs. They are an enigma, and many of them are scary. Jurassic Park, Jurassic World and their subsequent movies portrayed them brilliantly, but I felt no need to encounter one personally nor dwell on issues such as their speed, size or food preferences – not least since it might have been something like me. Or you.

The dinosaurs became extinct millions of years ago when an asteroid hit the earth, raising a massive cloud of dust blotting out the sun. Another encouraging thought for a young child. Or a grown adult. When I was young I found stories such as Little Red Riding Hood or the rhyme about Jack and Jill falling down – with Jack tragically breaking his crown - quite frightening enough. Of course, dealing with fear is important for us all, as there are many challenges in the world and issues which can alarm. There are tensions between the nations, threats of war, dangerous weapons, knife crime, the virus, so much which we can pick up on in the news, like a huge, lumbering monster waiting to devour us or stamp us out.

Believing in and trusting God helps us to cope with our anxiety and gives us hope for our lives and the world. Jesus lived in a world of real threats and violence, but he calls his disciples to trust in the Heavenly Father for this world and the next. He is very aware of the troubles of the world, of the cares and fears of ordinary people, and he calls people to enter the Kingdom of God where our lives are ruled by the Lord and not by the changing ways of this world. He meets violence and death head-on, not by accident, and in his love he is willing to lay down his life for us, his friends. If we think only of the pains and problems of this world we can easily find ourselves apprehensive, but to look to Jesus who is The Way, The Truth and The Life is to have confidence in One who holds us and saves us.