“…Why, every hair on your head has been counted.”
Matthew 10:24-33
Fear is a crippling emotion. It comes from those dark places in our make up which cause us to act or not act. We are often consumed with the fear that what we have covered up will one day be uncovered or that what we have said in the darkness will one day come to light.
Yet, Jesus does not see this reality as a negative thing. In fact, he comforts his friends by telling them not to be afraid. Once we have faced the shadow side of ourselves there is not much to be anxious about or afraid of anymore. Facing our fears, facing our dark side, making friends with our mistakes and failings, neutralizes the fear and thus enables us to come into the light. To quote words from a popular hymn: “You must know the shadows, / If you would know the light.”
Having made that journey from darkness into light, we know we are truly loved by an awesome God. These words finally make sense: “Why, every hair on your head has been counted.”