“…but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭2:10-13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The word from Heaven is: don’t be afraid. Someone has suggested that there are more than 352 times in the Bible that God or God’s Messengers say, “do not be afraid.” The idea being that there are more than enough “do not be afraids” for every day of the year. 

To be honest, I’ve never counted them, so I’m not sure if that is accurate, but I certainly appreciate the thought. 

I wonder what the world would be like if we could all learn to not be afraid. I wonder how the systems of power that cause so much abuse in our world would change. I wonder who would be set free. I wonder if world peace would ultimately become a reality. 

I don’t know…but I know that as I look over the year that was and I dream about the year that is to come, I hope and pray that I can take the message of Heaven more to heart. I hope I can begin to live in God’s great “do not be afraid.” I hope that you can, too.  

May this be the message we hear and share this Christmas.