The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more. Zephaniah 3:15
 

I listened to the news the other morning. First there was the tragic report of a woman who was losing her home due to a bad mortgage loan that was called by the bank and she couldn't pay it. Then there was the report of a missing couple in Hilton Head followed by continuing coverage of the tragic killing of two young college women. The reporter barely caught her breath before continuing with the over-all economy, the war in Iraq and the fact that our city, Atlanta, has deficits in the millions of dollars. Whew! The only seemingly light event that was highlighted was the botched robbery of a police station (you read that right, a police station!) by two youths under the age of 16.

When I drove in to work, I was aware of a creeping anxiety. As I reflected on the start of my morning, it occurred to me that anxiety is the normal human response to being overwhelmed by bad news. After all, the news was uniformly bad - and I had no power to affect any of it.

God does. The only antidote to being overwhelmed by bad news is to pray - and bring God into your day.

Please don't misunderstand me. I don't want to minimize or dismiss the pain of those whose lives have been touched by tragedy of any kind. Rather, I want to suggest that my ability to respond is directly related to whether faith or fear controls me. I cannot undo the current economic situation in which we find ourselves - but I can choose to continue to give to support the church rather than have fear choke off generosity. I cannot resolve the city's current economic circumstances - but I can become informed and engaged in city politics. I cannot change the tragedy of death that is distant to me - but I can be a loving presence to those near me whose lives are touched by its cold hand, and I can gently remind them of the Risen One and his promise that we shall see our loved ones again.

Zephaniah is right: when God is in our midst we need not fear. This isn't a Pollyanna naiveté. It is the quiet certainty of faith - and it is a much better way to live.

Lord Jesus, come into my day and calm my fears with your presence. Amen