FEAR NO ONE!
- Jun 19
- 3 min read
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
"Jesus said to the Twelve: 'Fear no one. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops" (Mt. 10: 26-33).
Have you ever heard that gentle whisper, perhaps coming from deep within you, that you might not have even noticed had you not been listening? That gentle, quiet voice in the back of your mind telling you not to do something, or the proper decision to make, or what to say in a particular conversation. That gut feeling, that intuition, that angel on the shoulder. Regardless of how you call it, that is the holy spirit. Whispering to us at night, or in our anxious hours, or wise words from a friend; the holy spirit appears to us in many ways.
God is always speaking to us and ensures we hear him, but only if we are willing to listen. Growing up in the church, I assumed that God spoke in a big booming voice and would declare, “I am God! Regina, listen to me!” I would hear the message, follow directions, and depart. But for me, I hear God in the tongue of my grandmother, my anxious hours, signs seen multiple times, a song stuck in my head, and an Instagram post repeating the same sentiment. It’s when I am stressing to the point of feeling like throwing up, and I see a verse, a random one, that so gently reminds me that my God has not forsaken me.
Matthew 10:26 begins with “Fear no one”, and that is easy to say but difficult in practice. How can I fear no one when there is so much happening in the world to my community and me? How can I not be fearful of the conditions we live in and what the future will hold? How can I not spiral out of control, constantly watching the continuous loop of harm occurring worldwide? So often, my anxiety spirals me inwards and tells me that it is on me to fix every situation and save my entire community singlehandedly. I am a teacher, an Afro-latina woman, an eldest daughter, a service-oriented person, and a leader whom others look up to. How can I not take on that responsibility? And it feels selfish to fear no one when there is so much to be fearful about at this current time.
Yet in my quiet hours, lying there at night, praying, or cooking dinner, I hear the whisper that it will all be okay. God has not yet forsaken you, so why would He now? Has there ever been a time when He has not brought you through? He gently whispers to me, so quietly that I often miss it, “my daughter, you are enough. You are doing the best you can. Do not fear this world, because I got it. Do you trust that I got it?”
I often find myself sobbing to the song He Loves sung by the Howard Gospel Choir with soloist Brittany Wright. The song says, “I know sometimes, you feel like God’s not there. And I know it’s hard when life seems so unfair. Brother, sister, hold on. He’s not forsaken you. Has there been a time when he’s not seen you through? That’s where faith steps in. Patiently wait and remind yourself: I’m convinced your way is better. I believe you have a plan. I will walk with you forever. I trust you, for you’re faithful and still love me.” What ends in tears for me is once again, that gentle reminder that God loves us so deeply and intentionally, counting each of the hairs on our head, the cells in our body, the breaths that we take. How can we fear anyone or anything when we are loved to completion?
We must trust Him. We must trust his plan. He is faithful, and He loves us so incredibly fully that there is not a single thing we will encounter in our lives that He cannot bring us through and use for our good. The song ends by repeating “How he loves me, he loves us, you love me Lord!” That is the reminder we need. Let Him gently remind you of his love for you.
Author: Regina Banks, born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, is an educator and a PhD student at Morgan State University. Born and raised Catholic, Regina has found her personal connection with God through HU Bison Catholic and the Howard Gospel Choir during her time as a student at Howard University. Regina currently attends St. Martin de Porres in Philadelphia and continues to sing gospel music with Waverly Alston in the Company of Friends.
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