‘Courage is not the absence of fear. It is the ability to act in the presence of fear.’ (Bruce Lee)
How do we respond in the presence of fear and uncertainty? What determines this response? Let’s find out.
As we prepare ourselves for the feast of Pentecost in a few weeks, let’s examine one by one the gifts of the Holy Spirit, as listed by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 11:1-3a).
Acts 4:13-21
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16 “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.” 18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” 21 After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. – The Word of the Lord.
Reflection
Let’s look at a few flashbacks from the Gospels: When the disciples heard God the Father speaking from Heaven during the transfiguration, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. (Matthew 17:6) When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. (Matthew 14:26) When Jesus was arrested, all the disciples deserted him and fled. (Matthew 26:56b) After the death of Jesus, the disciples were afraid of the Jewish leaders, and they locked themselves in a room. (John 20:19)
All of this and more tells us about how fearful and timid the disciples were. In contrast, today’s Gospel talks about two of the same disciples Peter and John being bold and fearless. The authorities, despite their threats and tactics, were unable to stop them or silence them; so powerful were their words and so impactful were the signs and wonders they were performing. So what had changed from then to now? The descent of the Holy Spirit upon them!
After his resurrection, Jesus opened their minds to understand the Scriptures and commissioned them to be witnesses of all that had happened. He promised them that they would soon be equipped with divine power to carry out their mission. (Luke 24:44-49) Just before His ascension, He again assured them, ‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ (Acts 1:8) Just as He promised, the apostles were anointed powerfully with the Holy Spirit during Pentecost (Acts 2)
And that transformed everything. From fearful, nervous, confused ordinary men, they became bold and courageous missionaries, unafraid to preach in the name of Jesus and to fearlessly respond to the authorities. They understood the profound truth echoed by the Psalmist, ‘The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?’ (Psalm 118:6) Jesus had reiterated this when He said, ‘Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matthew 10:28) When God, the Creator of our body and soul is with us, then who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)
Nelson Mandela once said, ‘I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.’ We cannot conquer fear on our own, but only with the gift of Fortitude that comes from the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit, that is God himself, already dwells within each one of us. (1 Corinthians 6:19) That means, not only is God with us, He is within us. So we really have nothing to be afraid of. But do we realize this? Not really, else we wouldn’t panic each time we encountered a problem in life. We wouldn’t hesitate to stand up and defend the Truth. We wouldn’t falter if we needed to go against the crowd for what is right.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) The Holy Spirit emboldens us to live like conquerors because He reminds us of Jesus’ victory over death. (John 14:26) This powerful truth enables us to declare God’s promises over every situation in life and live like His children, brave and courageous, despite our circumstances.
So today, let’s begin to identify our fears and surrender them to our loving God. As we empty ourselves, let’s invoke the Holy Spirit to replenish and rekindle the gift of Fortitude within us. Then just like the disciples, we too will be transformed and empowered, and bravely go on to change the world.
Let us pray:
Dear Lord, thank you for the Holy Spirit within us and for all His gifts. Forgive us for failing to recognise this power you have equipped us with and for living passive dormant lives. Renew your grace upon us. Help us use your divine gifts fruitfully and live the abundant lives you intended us to live. We ask all of this in the mighty holy and precious name of Jesus – Amen. God bless you!
(Scripture References: Deuteronomy 3:22, 31:6, Psalm 23:4, 27:1-3, 34:4-5, 46:1-3, 56:3-4, Psalm 91, Isaiah 35:4, 41:10-13, 43:1, Joel 2:21, Zechariah 2:8, Matthew 10:26, Mark 5:36, Luke 12:32, John 14:27, 2 Timothy 1:7, Hebrews 13:6, 1 John 4:18, Revelation 1:17)
Audio Credit: Ms. Anita Lewis
Reflect, Hope, Believe 
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