Who are they that fear the Lord? He will teach them the way that they should choose.
--Psalm 25:12
Fear does all kinds of things to people. It is said that fear is a great motivator. What does fear motivate you to do -- or not to do, as the case may be?
Generally, when faced with fear, we're motivated to battle it or run from it. Stated differently, it's fight or flight.
Pretty clearly, our Lord wants people who fear Him. But here, fear is not the kind of thing that causes heart palpitations and/or varying levels of anxiety. Instead, it's more along the lines of reverence. Reverent people are those who believe that God has the top spot in their lives. And such people are heirs of the wondrous promise issued in today's reading from Psalms: God will teach them the way that they should choose.
Holy Week, at its best, makes students of us. If all we had were elongated video clips of the events of the first Holy Week, we likely would pay little heed. But we have more than a newsreel of Holy Week, we have the "audio", to to speak; we have not only the what, we have the why.
When fear strikes for whatever reason, reframe it into reverence for the Lord. You will learn the way to choose. That's God's promise to you.
PD
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