Claire Coenen
Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid,
for the Lord God is my strength and my might;
he has become my salvation.
-Isaiah 12:2
I will trust, and will not be afraid,
for the Lord God is my strength and my might;
he has become my salvation.
-Isaiah 12:2
I read the words “I will trust, and will not be afraid,” and
I want to ask Isaiah: how? Have you
looked around? Have you scanned the New York Times? Have your turned on CNN?
I wrestle with anxiety and fear daily. I fret about
midterms, and I am terrified of gun violence. As I navigate the challenges of
life as a first year divinity school student in a world that is broken and
bloody, I struggle to trust God.
The wisdom of my mentor Sophie has helped me as I’ve tried
to understand the darkness in the world. Sophie has reminded me on many
occasions that God does not promise that we will not suffer. God promises to be
with us during times of suffering. I
find solace, and even in strength, in this belief.
When I read the words “God is my salvation,” I want to tell
Isaiah: yes! This is a statement I
too can own. I do not know how I would get out of bed in the morning if I did
not believe in God. God saves me daily because I know God is with me.
During this Advent season, I’m trying to tune into the
profundity of the incarnation. Jesus’ entrance into this world insists on the
truth that God is with us. Trusting
in the good news of the incarnation makes me less afraid.
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