"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10
Good guys and bad guys; who are you going to trust; who are you going to believe? Have you read the Athanasian Creed recently? We usually read it on Holy Trinity Sunday; but not always and sometimes it’s not even mentioned. This Creed has been in Churches since the sixth century and as I read through it my thoughts drifted for just a moment to what kind of creed do the vodou priests in Haiti use? We Christians place our faith in the Triune God and the vodouists place their trust in their vodou priest’s ability to connect with evil spirits from satan. When along our journey we face trials and hurdles we turn to our God. He is always there, no matter how big the challenge or how dark the skies and how painful the grief we are experiencing. Our human tendency is to take our eyes off of God, look at the problem before us and feel overwhelmed with fear and anxiety. When fear floods in, faith floods out! When your back is against the wall, choose faith over fear. Stand firm in the faith and put your trust in God.
The children in the attached photo attend the Lutheran school in St. Marc and they place their trust in our Triune God and not the vodou priest. Their lives too are filled with many trials and hurdles and they too recognize that these frightening moments are only a temporary dead end. Our God continues to provide us with the Hope of knowing that we have a risen Savior who is Christ the Lord. The Holy Spirit continues to strengthen our faith as we go out into a world filled with darkness and in desperate need of the Light of the world.
Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you…Jay