Not fear, but love

IT WAS early in the Lockdown that I came across these words from one of Paul’s pastoral letters which you can read in the New Testament section of the Bible.

Paul wrote two letters to Timothy, a young disciple, carefully counselling and guiding him on his Christian journey. In his second letter (2 Timothy 1:7) he writes: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, and of love and of a sound mind”.

Although at first glance Timothy’s life bears no resemblance to mine Paul was urging him to be bold and allow God’s spirit to help us overcome his fear of what might lie ahead.

As I struggled in the first couple of weeks of Lockdown, close to tears for much of the time, these words of Paul kept coming to mind reassuring me that despite the fear and worry around me the way through this strangest of times would be the path of faith strengthened by God’s love and his power.

I am not facing the difficulties and challenges that many of the front-line workers have been facing.

I am thankful that those I love have not experienced ill-health due to the virus.

But isolated from friends and families, having to find new routines and structure, I have taken strength in those words from Paul and with more time on my hands to stop and stare I have experienced a closeness to my Creator that had been missing for some time. Christine Morgan is a member of Wokingham Methodist Church, writing on behalf of Churches Together in Wokingham