Recently, I had an unusual meeting with a bird – inside my car. I opened my car door and something brushed against my leg. I cautiously turned to look and found a robin, blinking back at me. On being noticed, the robin hopped into the passenger seat of my car and peacefully settled on the front dash. She showed no sign of fear. She curiously and calmly looked for her exit to head back into the open sky. I opened the car door and she hop, hop, hopped - out of my car and into the sunny day.
As she flew away I wondered if this feathered friend had a message for me and googled the meaning of, “meeting a robin close up and personal”. I learned that in some Indigenous traditions, robins are understood as messengers of Peace. This understanding of Robins as messengers of peace, is one that still resonates with me. In the middle of a busy day of errands, worries and many expectations - I needed a surprise delivery of PEACE. If you were to encounter a robin of peace today, how would you respond?
The appearance of the robin in my car, brought to mind other affirmations of peace in Jesus’s saying, “Do not be afraid. My Peace I give to you.” Did you know that the phrases, “Do not be afraid” or “Fear not!” appear in the Bible 70 times and various forms of do not to fear total roughly 145 times?
These scriptures, as well as the unexpected visit of a robin in my car, are poignant invitations into a spiritual practice of releasing fear and seeking peace. How might a shift from fear to peace help us see things in a new way?
This coming Sunday, we continue in the Gospel of Matthew 14 and hear the account of Jesus walking on water. In this text, Peter and the disciples are caught in a sudden storm, and are challenged to step out in faith to experience unexpected peace. May God’s peace take us by surprise - and help us navigate the storms we face.
Questions to Consider this Week:
1. If you could trade fear for peace in one area of your life, what would it be?
2. Have you ever been taken by surprise by unexpected peace? What happened? How did you respond?
3. What is your favorite “Be Not Afraid” Bible Story?
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