"Living Without Fear" - Psalm 23 - May 3, l998

If you don’t have enough to worry about scientists have just added another potential disaster for us to worry about. It seems that on November 7th of this year the earth will be bombarded by a meteor shower. These tiny particles will be traveling about 300 miles an hour and many of the satellites that are floating in space are in jeopardy. Before you protect your home with a steel shield you might be comforted to know that in all probability the meteors will hit the earth in the Pacific Ocean.

Life is filled with fear. There are those who are afraid to send their children to school for fear of getting hit by gunfire. Many are purchasing tornado insurance. Very few elderly go out at night because of the possibility of getting robbed or having an automobile accident in the dark. Many folks have quit eating meat for fear of diseases. Some have quit flying and many tourists are avoiding travel to foreign countries because of the lack of protection.

Should we worry? Is society doomed to total destruction? Is there any hope? Is there anyway we can live our lives without fear?

The Psalmist said, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me." This is not just a message for the dying. This is a message for every day living. Too often the 23rd Psalm has been so sentimentalized that we miss the very essence of its message. It can and does speak to our fears.

In Palestine, as well as the Western world, sheep are taken into "higher ground" during the summer time. The shepherd leads his flock on long drives, through narrow places and winding paths. They move slowly, through rushing rivers and wild mountains. During this time the flock is entirely alone with the shepherd. They are in intimate contact with him day and night. David, the psalmist, knew this first hand. When Samuel was sent to anoint him as King of Israel, David was not home on the ranch. Instead he was high in the hills with the sheep. David knew from experience about all the difficulties and dangers of the high country. There were floods, rock slides, poisonous plants and predators. Nothing took him by surprise as he was totally prepared to care for his sheep.

One thing the 23rd Psalm doesn’t do is eliminate the threat that exists for the sheep. It is in fact a wild and dangerous world in which we live. The Psalm does not minimize the fact that trouble and danger lurks where ever we go. Try as we do to out maneuver nature or protect our lives with a myriad of security systems, we simply cannot keep every threat at bay. If a meteor shower does in fact pulverize the earth late next fall there is nothing we can do to stop it.

But, how do we live without fear? First and foremost we can live with the assurance that God is with us. God is not restricted to certain places or people. God the Great Shepherd is watching over all the flock. Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (John l0:ll) To say the "The Lord is my shepherd" implies a profound yet practical working relationship between God and us. How many of us understand that God is deeply concerned about each one of us? Even David was not speaking as a shepherd, but as one of the flock. And he lived with total assurance that God would care for him, even give his life for him.

My grandfather kept a medal on his desk. It was for heroism. When he was a young man he made an attempt to rescue another man from drowning in Lake Ann in Barberton, Ohio. He was not successful but the city gave him the medal for his noble efforts. He told me that it reminded him that although he failed in his attempt to save someone, God is willing to do the same, even if it means giving his life.

God, the great shepherd, is with us. We are never alone. The world teaches us to trust no one. We are to take care of number "one". We spend much of our time and resources protecting, preserving and defending. God, however, wants our trust. God wants us to know that each of us is a member of God’s flock. The Psalm is an invitation to live under God’s rule and no one else.

Secondly, to live without fear we have to move to higher ground. To be closer to God we must travel through the twisted, rocky, narrow, valleys of life. Life is not like living on a high plateau where we are perfectly safe. Life is a journey, yet with the constant reminder that God is with us on that journey. When I traveled to Israel I had the opportunity to visit Masada. That was a mountain stronghold on the western shore of the Dead Sea. It was the scene of the last stand of Jewish insurgents in the revolt of A.D. 66. A band of fanatical revolutionaries took it over from the Romans under the reign of Herod. It was taken back by the Romans in 73. It is significant since it became the last stronghold for the Jewish people. While there the community was totally self-sufficient and the occupants believed they were totally secure. This however, was not the case since it changed hands twice.

Masada reminds us that even the strongest and securest fortress is not immune from the enemy. Although I visited Masada and thoroughly enjoyed the view from the top, I have one regret. There were two ways to ascend to the top; by hiking the long, narrow path, or taking a cable car. I chose the cable car. It was much easier and much quicker. After returning to the bottom of the mountain a friend was telling me how exciting the hike was. He and some others had completely the hike together and it seemed to draw them closer to one another. I felt left out. He said that it also put him in touch with the daily journeys of the shepherds.

The way to higher ground is through the valleys. It is the valleys that we walk through in our daily lives. There are disappointments, frustrations, dilemmas and difficulties, but they can lead us to that higher ground. It is through these valleys that we feel closer to God, because we experience God’s presence on every step and turn we make.

Most of us would like to ignore the valleys and twisted paths of life. We would rather leap from mountain top to mountain top. It is along the valleys that the "green pastures" and "still waters" are found. Even while predators lurk in the rocks above and storms can turn the valleys into to raging rivers they are the only place where the essential elements of food and water can be found. The Great Shepherd knows that we can find strength and sustenance despite the threat of disaster.

Nothing builds our faith more than to look back at the dark times. To see how God has brought us through perilous times, revealing God’s presence and providing for our every need. God has brought us this far, God will take us the rest of the way.

Finally, what we learn is that even in the most threatening of situations, God was with us. God was there providing, sheltering, leading, just like the Psalm describes. It is noteworthy to point out the significance of the verb "leads." The same Hebrew word is found in Exodus l5:l3. There it refers to the Exodus of the Hebrews. They were on their way to a new found freedom and God was leading them.

God is leading us to freedom. There are no shortcuts or easy roads to take. The way is through the valleys. To live without fear is to be aware that our journey will consist of winding paths, narrow passages and wild terrain. To live without fear is to have the knowledge that just as we must travel these valleys it is in these valleys where we will find the essential resources of life. Ultimately, to live without fear is to live with assurance that on every leg of our journey, God is with us.

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio