There are times—especially these days—when anxiety seems to hang in the air like humidity before a thunderstorm. We carry worries about our families, our health, our future, our country, and the state of the world.

Some days it can feel as though we are one breaking news alert away from taking a ride in the car without caring where we end up. At best, we stop caring. How can our faith help?

Well, first off, the Christian faith has never promised us a life free from anxiety. What it does promise is that we never face anxiety alone.

Remember Jesus’ favorite catch phrase? “Do not be afraid.” Those words show up again and again in scripture. Not because there’s nothing scary in life, but because God’s love is bigger than whatever threatens to overwhelm us.

The Bible is filled with anxious people: Moses doubted himself, Elijah burned out, the disciples panicked in storms, and even Jesus prayed in anguish. Faith is not pretending everything is fine. Faith is trusting that God is still present when things are not fine.

And that matters, especially today.

A progressive Christian faith does not ask us to ignore hard realities or simply “think positive.” We recognize injustice, grief, uncertainty, and pain. We care deeply about the world because God cares deeply about the world.

But we also refuse to surrender to despair. Anxiety tells us everything depends entirely on us. Faith, on the other hand, reminds us that it is not all up to us. We belong to something larger: A God of compassion, resurrection, justice, and hope who is always at work in our lives and in our world.

Sometimes combating anxiety begins with very holy things:
resting, breathing, praying, laughing, reaching out to friends, going for a walk, or turning off the news for a little while. Remember: God managed the universe long before we arrived and will continue long after we are gone.

Jesus often spoke about birds and flowers when people were worried which is a little amusing when you think about it. Imagine telling anxious modern adults, “Look at the lilies.” We might respond, “Jesus, respectfully, have you seen my ‘to do’ list?”

And yet his point still stands. Creation itself testifies that life is more than panic and productivity. Grace exists all around us.

The good news is that anxiety does not get the final word. Love does. Community does. Hope does. God does.

So if your heart feels heavy these days, remember this: you do not have to carry the world by yourself. The church walks together. God walks with us. And even when life feels uncertain we trust that, in ways we cannot possibly comprehend, all shall be well.

All shall be well. Not perfect. Not easy. But held in grace.

And that is enough to embrace each new day with gratitude.

See you in church,

–Rev. Dominic