Facing Fearনমুনা

NO FEAR, HATE OR HARM

A decade ago, I was leading a group from my home church in Canada on a mission trip to Cuba. The church in Cuba had experienced a significant revival movement and the fast-growing house church movement was overflowing with new believers. This continues to be true even today. Joy is the predominant characteristic of believers there who, though impoverished, rejoice in the Lord and love to be together to worship Him.

In Havana, we visited the Baptist Seminary and were delighted to have some time with its then elderly president, Rev. Dr. L. Vegilla. He spoke perfect English and shared with us how he had spent five years in Castro’s prison system in the 1960’s just because he was a Christian pastor. He further itemized the many squeezing pressures the church had experienced at the hand of the regime over the past five decades. Then he smiled and in his very positive style of expression concluded, “But we have learned three things through all of this. We learned not to fear, not to hate and not to harm!”

I have meditated on this statement for some time and concluded that it expresses very succinctly the biblical essence of fearlessly standing strong through any storm. And although his three-point outline is stated negatively, there are very positive aspects of each:
• learning “not to fear” infers a development of boldness and courage

• learning “not to hate” implies a focus on love, forgiveness and grace

• learning “not to harm” indicates a commitment to the biblical principles of non-violence and aggressive love

Dr. Vegilla summed it up perfectly. On a more recent trip to Cuba, I met a young man whose pastor-father was martyred – along with other Christian leaders – by a local shaman. Years later, this student returned to visit his home area and came face to face with the same shaman who had killed his father. Rather than take vengeance, he shared the love of God and ultimately led the shaman to faith in Jesus.

Today I want to live counter-culturally in boldness, love and non-violence. I am committed not to fear, not to hate, and not to harm anyone.