Today’s first reading is a fascinating story of the post exilic Judah. Now, what does that mean? In 587 BC the southern and last of two kingdoms in the Jewish nation fell to the Babylonians. Forty years later, the Babylonians fell to the Persians and the victorious King, Cyrus, released the Jews to return to the land that was their nation and to rebuild it.

Nehemiah writes about 100 years later describing the third wave of the Jews returning home. The temple is rebuilt and the Jewish civilization has been restored, but, there are a few other elements needed, specifically: a recommittment in faith and a wall around Jerusalem. This is what we see Nehemiah describing. A wall around the city obviously protected the city from foreign intruders and it was a key element to the defense of the city.

So what we are seeing here is the that the wall is being built, much to the consternation of the neighbors of the Jewish state, as this means the nation is prepared to defend itself. There are guards overlooking the construction to protect the project. If this were to be the 21st Century Navy, this would be what are called the Sea Bees (CB’s) today, the Construction Battalion, the Navy and Marines who build the bases under the duress of a hostile outside environment.

You notice that Nehemiah has Ezra, reading the law of Moses. This is basically what we call the Torah. The people are crying. Why? Was the law so bad? No, they are tears of repentance and joy for the mercy of God. They have broken these laws and are repenting of their sins that they may return to be in good graces with God. They are reminded to celebrate their roles as God’s special people and in the process, called to live this one special word: Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength!

What Ezra is saying, is that although they are building the wall despite opposition and although they are finding how they have failed the Lord and how they must now recommit to the Law of Moses, they have the opportunity to do what no other culture can do: Trust in the true God to be by their side. As long as they are faithful to God, they can rest assured that He will be faithful to them.

Do not we have the same promise. We really have to look at who we are and realize that part and parcel of being a person of our faith is that we have to see the world through Christian eyes and we have to think as Christians, that means we have to think differently.

It would be nice, if we lived the world on TV where nothing goes wrong, but when it does we later later use it for entertainment. However, we live in a world of doubt, of change, of instability, and all these bring in that which weakens us the most: fear.

However, when we listen to these words, we hear the preaching of Ezra telling us to not to fear, but to rejoice in the Lord and let that be our strength.

There are many reasons for us to be sad or to have anxiety. There is everything that tomorrow may bring. However, God calls us to turn from fear and to be people who are strong. We do that by rejoicing in who we are, the people of God, saved by Jesus Christ. Knowing that gives us strength. However, that is a truth based on the reality that without God it is quite normal to fear what is out there.

We remember this in light of the psalmist who reminds us that we when we follow Christ may very well be walking through the valley of death, but even then, even there, as long as we trust in God, we must not fear.

What is it that you fear? How much does that fear cripple you. Maybe you are worried about finances, or disease, or the life of a loved one. It does not mean when we worry about what we fear, that it will not happen, what it does mean is that even when the worst case scenario happens, when we make our calculations based on anxiety, we leave God out of the equation. Maybe we worry because there are those in our state who support people of faith being denied certain forms of employment. However, when we can rejoice in God even when we have reason to fear, then we add God into the equation of our worries.

The worldly people reject God—for them, when they are in the valley of death, they are alone, for they trust in no one who can guide them. Yet, we are not them, we are us, and as Ezra says, we must not be like them. We must not fear, but trust in God by rejoicing in Him, relying on Him, praising and thanking Him for all things and knowing that we will never be alone, that He is always with us. Honestly, that is the most difficult element of our faith, not the act of trusting in God, but learning that we can trust in God and in learning how to do so.

Let us remember that trust in the Lord Must be Our Strength at all times.

God Bless You,

Fr. Robert J. Carr, an alliance member of the New Song Community, is the pastor of St. Benedict Somerville and the editor of this blog.