Our
ordinary everyday language can often be absolutely accurate. It can
be so in an uncanny way that goes beyond what we consciously intend
to express. We may say that somebody gives us a pain-in-the-neck (or
we may even locate the pain at the other end of our spines) only to
find that this is exactly how the way they effect us is registering
in our bodies! One of the worst things that we could say about somebody
is that he or she is a dreadful person. They may be horrible because
of what they do or say, or how they look, smell or act. But one thing
sure is that they are dread-ful, that is, full of dread or fear. More
and more as I listen to peoples' lives I have come to believe that
99% of hurt and of what we call sin is due to insecurity or, in other
words, due to fear or dread.
Kate
and Joe were married for three years without having children. Joe
was made insecure by the jokes of his friends that maybe "he
did not have the right know-how." This amongst other things led
him to have an affair with another woman and eventually Kate found
out about it. Now, seven years later even though they have children
of their own, Kate in her dread of a repetition, makes him a prisoner
of his past sin. She said that she forgave him but all she did was
to hide it like a deadly weapon under a tea cloth so that she could
pull it out whenever she wanted to control him. His friends, his mail,
his comings and goings, his whole life is monitored. His wife is a
dreadful person. Because of her fears, their life together is miserable.
So,
the words of Jesus in today's Gospel, "fear is useless: what
is needed is trust" (Mark 5:36 New American Bible) catch one's
attention because of the ring of truth that is in the saying. The
saying is more striking because it is mounted like a diamond between
two stories of people full of dread.
Jairus
holds an important position. He supervises the services in the local
synagogue. But in spite of his religious status he falls, like a beggar,
at the feet of Jesus and begs his help. He is a desperately afraid
father. His lovely twelve-year old daughter is seriously ill, so he
is craving for the help of the one person who may be able to cure
her. His courage, his trust, comes from his fear. Jesus says nothing,
promises nothing, but goes along with Jairus.
Their
walk is interrupted by another sufferer who is full of dread. For
twelve years this woman had suffered from an incurable hemorrhage,
an affliction which makes her, and anyone who touches her, ritually
unclean. She has lost all of her money in an effort to find a natural
cure. Her last hope was to approach Jesus. She fearfully jostles through
the crowd and gets to touch Jesus' garment. Jesus senses that power
has gone out of him. But he wants to cure the woman of more than her
sickness. He makes her stand up in front and be acclaimed for her
trust, be acclaimed as now clean, so that she would no longer have
reason to fear and be insecure.
Then,
news comes that the daughter of Jairus is dead. Jesus tells the father,
"fear is useless; what we need is trust." Ignoring the wailing
of the mourners and the scoffing of the bystanders Jesus took the
parents and his companions and entered the room. Taking her hand he
said, "little girl, get up" and she obeyed him. For Jairus,
after all there was no need to be afraid.
Very
often we come to prayer full of fear. We are so fearful that we are
afraid even to entrust ourselves into the loving hands of the Lord.
In our fearfulness we limit him with our words and our demands. If
only we could realize that God never gives us the second best. If
we could trust and could believe that his loving care is always present
we would "let go" to him and not be so dread-full. This
is precisely what we do when we try to meditate. We be still and trusting
just saying our prayer word and gradually God takes away our fear.
