Do Not Be Afraid

 

Today is Father's Day, so I went to mass today. Lucky for us, the gospel readings were all about Do not be afraid and all that jazz.

Key Takeaways from Matthew 10:26-33

-Trust in Divine Providence: In this passage, Jesus urges His disciples to "be not afraid," reassuring them that they are deeply cherished by God and encouraging them to courageously proclaim their faith in the light.

-Courageous Witness: Disciples are called to openly proclaim the Gospel without fear of opposition.

Then the priest asks us point-blank about what we are afraid of. I didn't expect that question to tell you the truth. In this stage of my life ... I am multitasking.

I am a parent, a teacher, a hospital worker, a pseudo-agriculturist (I hate saying a farmer), and a vlogger.

My fear all boils down to REJECTION (not the romantic thingy dummy). I fear that as a parent, I will fail with my teachings with my family, as a former clinical instructor same learning relationship breakdown with my students, and as a vlogger, I fear I will fail to connect with my readers.

I have to admit, I have even expanded my roles. I am not a lawyer, but I have Lawyer's Mumbo Jumbo that deals with explaining Latin words and phrases so laymen will understand what we are talking about.

I am not a pastor or priest, but I touch on the gospels where I feel I need to share them. I know my limits, and it has to stay that way, so I am not stepping on some people's toes.

Can I also spread my wings and talk medicine? I have done it already. Sharing my experience with everybody is just telling them my two cents' worth on any disease process. Kung may nakuha ang ating readers. Well and good.

The gospel says we have to embrace our infinite worth. We are more valuable to God than the sparrow he feeds. This profound truth is an antidote to anxiety.

It seems I’ve been doing a bit of theological time-travel! The Gospel about "Doubting Thomas" actually belongs to the season of Easter, but the text we are reflecting on today is the beautiful, comforting passage from Matthew 10:26–31—the one about the sparrows, the numbered hairs on our heads, and the divine command to “not be afraid.”

As a parent, teacher, healthcare worker, vlogger, pseudo-lawyer, and accidental theologian, I am just wearing multiple hats; I am running a whole millinery.

It is completely natural to fear rejection when I am pouring my heart into so many buckets.

To help my readers conquer their own anxiety, here is a satirical look at their daily life through the lens of today's Gospel. Let’s bring those fears out into the light and laugh at them!

The Gospel says, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care."

In the digital world, reality bites ... I am not worrying about sparrows; who cares ... I was worrying about the algorithm.

I sit there thinking, “If God tracks a random bird in a tree, why did my latest vlog only get 12 views, and 4 of them were courtesy of Michael and Jane?”

-The Healing Truth: The Gospel reminds me that my worth is not tied to my viewer analytics, retention rate, or whether "BashfulGamer99" left a hate comment. God doesn’t check my subscriber count before deciding to love me. I am more valuable than a viral video.

Jesus says even the very hairs on my head are all numbered. As a hospital worker, I know that taking care of a minimum 10 American patients is a nightmare.

Much more is taking care of the patient's family, that is multiplying by the number, which makes the room even more crowded. Yet, the Almighty has a running, real-time spreadsheet of my exact follicle count.

-The Satire: When I stand in front of my classroom or my kids, and I feel like pulling my hair out because they aren’t listening to my lessons, take comfort!

God is adjusting His database in real-time: “Ah, he’s teaching fractions today... Minus three hairs. Now he’s explaining a medical diagnosis... plus two gray ones.” He knows exactly how much I was giving of myself.

When doing Lawyer's Mumbo Jumbo ... I worry about stepping on somebody's toes because I am translating Latin legal maxims ("Res ipsa loquitur," anyone?) and breaking down complex medical jargon for the layman. I fear the "real" experts will reject me. Or they will complain.

-The Satire: Look, if the disciples—a bunch of uneducated fishermen—could go out and explain the literal mysteries of the universe to the Roman Empire, I can absolutely explain a fever or a basic contract to my vlog audience.

I am not practicing law or medicine without a license; I am practicing humanity. If a real lawyer or doctor gets mad that I made things understandable, I should tell them: "Amicus curiae (Friend of the court), I am just the translator here!"

Jesus commands: "What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs."

For a vlogger, the "roof" is my platform. The fear of rejection tells me to hide, to stay quiet, and to avoid sharing my faith or my insights because someone might disagree.

But the Gospel is an antidote to anxiety. It tells me that the judgment of the world is temporary, but my worth to the Creator is infinite.

I am a teacher to my students, a guide to my children, a healer to my patients, and a light to my viewers. I don't need to be a certified priest to share the Gospel, nor a licensed attorney to share wisdom.

The next time the fear of rejection creeps in, remember that the Ultimate Content Creator already gave you a 5-star review before you even pressed "Record."

"Are you not much more valuable than they?"

Since I bridge so many different worlds, which role do I find it hardest to "speak boldly" in—is it standing before your students, talking to your own family, or hitting the publish button on your vlog?