Jesus tells us in this weeks Gospel reading "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 Gehenna" On the one hand, it is a very comforting message. God loves you so much more than you can know; and yet, we are told to fear God. (The one who can destroy both body and soul.) So how is it that we should fear a loving God?
I suggest that we should fear God in the same way that we fear gravity. What's that? You don't fear gravity? Well, I understand that: after all gravity is a good thing. Gravity is the reason I find my house in the same place that I left it when I come home form work. I like that about gravity. But gravity is also the reason I'm very, VERY careful if I happen to be standing near the ledge of a cliff. Like at the Grand Canyon; right? I won't fool around when I'm close to a cliff because the laws of gravity are clear and the consequences of neglecting the laws of gravity can be tragic. Yes, I fear gravity.
I also fear my kind and loving God, because the consequences of neglecting Him, or of not being mindful of His laws are just too much to risk.
+Theophilus
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