Anita Mathias: Dreaming Beneath the Spires

Anita Mathias's Blog on Faith and Art

  • Home
  • My Books
  • Meditations
  • Essays
  • Contact
  • About Me

Some Things I Cannot Do

By Anita Mathias

   
  The Lord asks Job out of the whirlwind
  “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades? 
   Can you loosen Orion’s belt? 
   Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons
   
   Can you raise your voice to the clouds 
   and cover yourself with a flood of water? 
“Can you provides food for the raven 
  when its young cry out to God 
  and wander about for lack of food?
Nope, Job could not,
And neither can I.
* * *

 Then Job replied,
   My ears had heard of you
   but now my eyes have seen you.
6 Therefore I despise myself
   and repent in dust and ashes.”
And then, the Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first. Job 42:12
* * *    
                
Like Job, I have not entered the storehouses of the snow,
Or given the horse its strength
Who at the blast of a trumpet cries Aha,
Nor can I pull in leviathan with a fishhook.
Forget all this,
There are simpler things I cannot do without help.
Nope, I am not self-reliant.
* * *

 I am just beginning to learn
to eat the bread of the Holy Spirit.
when I am sad, glad, mad,  
Hungry, angry, lonely, tired
Instead of chocolate or cookies or a blood sugar exalting meal.
But guess what?
I cannot remember, or get myself
To eat this “real food”
Or real food
Unless you help me.
* * *
I don’t know very well how to finish what I began.
My laptop is littered with half-finished projects.
But you do know:
And your last words were
It is finished
 And my only hope of finishing
is clinging to you. Abiding in you
I am not highly focused,
But you were.
My food is to do the will of him who sent me
and to finish his work, you said
You did nothing on your own.
You did just what the father told you John 8:28
And so nothing you did was wasted.
And if I just abide in you
I know you will teach me this purposive and focused living.
I am not great on the second command
I am a Mary,
I can sit at your feet and listen to your teachings
While chaos whirls around me.
Teach me love.
* * *
You have waited long for me to say this:
I cannot do life without you.
And long ago, you said it first.
The Son can do nothing by himself,
he can only do what he sees the father doing. John 5:19
“I am the vine and you are the branches
If you abide in me, and I abide in you,
You will bear much fruit,” you said,
“Without me you can do nothing. You will wither.”
By myself I can do nothing, you said (John 5:30)
And yet you did so much,
That John wrote,
Surely a bit hyperbolically,
That if everything you did was written down,
All the books in the world would not contain it.
* * *
So Lord,
How am I to be focused,
disciplined,
loving?
I only know one way:
(And that is okay,
For apparently you also only knew one way)
Relying on you and your Spirit
To fill and possess me.
“Pray constantly,”
Paul said.
Another Impossible Imperative
And that is my only hope for doing all the things I cannot do,
For destroying the crutch of comfort eating,
For working with focus,
For finishing the projects your gave me,
as you finished your great project,
and to have a heart like yours,
a heart of love.
My only hope: You!
To remember you,
To ask for your help,
To hang out in you,
As a branch in the vine,
As molecules of sap in the green, fruitful vine.

 Tweet

Filed Under: random

Lazarus was never the same

By Anita Mathias


Lazarus was never the same.
For the rest of his life, he walked
like a man with a limp–one
who is different–through the steep
arid paths of Bethany.
For four days, everything
he feared thronged to  him.
And amid the terror,
a voice resounded:
the teacher he loved,
“Lazarus, come forth.”
As they peeled his winding
 sheets, the stench fled.
His eyes shuddered
at day. A man rescued–improbably,
 temporarily–from his fate,
he never speaks of it.
Of such things, who can tell?
Neither quite of this world, nor out of it,
Living in the memory of the glory
he once saw, a memory growing fainter,
as he walked among those harassed
by the cares of this world and
the delight in riches. And having to live
too, make money, survive.
 A man of the mountains
Dwelling in the tedious
plains, figuring out how to follow
the leader he no longer sees
step by step, in humble,
rarely noticed ways:
being kind to Mary
and Martha, and the friends
gathering around them, the nucleus
of a new thing: the church,
ever waiting for the first drumbeats
of Christ, the coming King.

Filed Under: random

365 Project: A South Beach Meal by the Beach

By Anita Mathias

 We are spending 5 days by the sea, near the New Forest in Hampshire. And are now following the South Beach diet.
Here’s the meal Roy and Irene put together for dinner tonight–spinach and romaine salad with chicken and cheese topping, sauteed courgette with hummus, chili and ginger chicken, and a ricotta and lemon dessert. Delicious, light and all on Phase 1 of South Beach.
And now to get stuck into the exercise which is also part of the South Beach programme..

Filed Under: random

Christ says, “I will let nothing be wasted.”

By Anita Mathias


 
“Let nothing be wasted”

“Nothing, Lord?”
“Nothing.”
* * *
Not our weary years,
Not our silent tears,
None of the loneliness
Which caused that deep, echoing silence
in which we could hear you?
None of our failures
Which stilled the insistent voices
Of those who might otherwise have found a use for us.
We were nobody and nothing
And in the vast silence which surrounded us,
We heard your signature sound:
A whisper.
The bad days we planted which became bad weeks, bad years.
Days, nights, wasted to bickering, quarrelling, fights?
Even them?
 “Let nothing be wasted.”
* * *
The smart learn wisdom from your Word,
The stupid learn it from experience.
I was stupid, Lord.
* * *
The years I wasted in depression,
Ingratitude, bitterness, jealousy, hatred…
Will I still produce as much
As if I had spent them in praise,
thankfulness and love,
hidden in the holy places of the Most High?
“I will let nothing be wasted.”
* * *
And when I overworked so much that I burned out,
And still tried to read, being too exhausted too read,
Those wasted hours and years?
Nothing was wasted.
And I got terrified and perfectionistic,
And revised pieces of work a hundred times,
And have not finished the final draft of my big book
NOTHING IS WASTED.
* * *
The friendships, Lord, the friendships.
I expected too much, held on too hard,
Was too impatient, too possessive.
Nothing is wasted.
Oh and how many people I could have loved,
How many could I have got to know
But I–I read and wrote and worried
That I wasn’t reading and writing more.
Oh and I and my sweet Roy.
We could have been so happy.
Everything was, is, given us.
But how we have fought!
Nothing is wasted.
And those sweet, adorable little girls
And me adoring them, and wanting to write too
And writing often won.
I was there. With them and with you.
I was there.
Nothing was wasted.
And worry, worry, anxiety.
That my dominating in-laws would visit us for months on end,
Would stay forever,
Would run our lives, ruin them,
All the eventualities you averted!
But how long did fear rule me,
Instead of trust!!
And why did I not get it, Lord,
That love is all that matters
That I can trust you in everything
That you mean good when men mean evil
Why did I not learn to trust you instead of worrying?
Mess, Lord!
I sweep it up,
Shards, tesserae, beach glass,
Broken vases, crystal, beads, jewels.
Take and receive, oh Lord
The mess I have made of the jewels
You have lavished upon me, again and again.
* * *
Nothing is wasted, he says.
I take what you have to give me:
broken jewellery, broken crystal, broken children’s crafts,
kid’s toys, never assembled, parts missing
gifts never used, now rusting.
Broken pottery, broken dreams, broken body,
And my hands work instantly, busily,
They mould, they shape,
They join, they paste,
And from what you thought was a Psyche heap of broken baubles
They create
Such a form as Grecian goldsmiths make
Of hammered gold and gold enamelling
To keep a drowsy Emperor awake,
Or set upon a golden bough to sing
To lords and ladies of Byzantium.
                                                  * * * 




I am grateful to Dave Roberts for the phrase, “If you have a bad day, don’t plant it. Bad days have a habit of turning into bad weeks, months and years.”

Filed Under: random

The Cake Roy received on Valentine’s Day

By Anita Mathias

designed and baked by Irene, 12.
She baked three cakes and layered them. Not bad for a 12 year old!

Filed Under: random

Beggar, Slave, Friend, Child.

By Anita Mathias

 How do you see your relationship to God?Are you a beggar? Evangelism is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. Niles, D. T.

Are you a servant or slave? The Book of Romans opens thus,Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus,

Are you a friend? I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15.

Or are you a child? But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. (Ps 131:2)

Beggar, servant, friend or child?

Which are we?

All.

* * *

I love Hudson Taylor’s description of his relationship to Christ (also known as Hudson Taylor’s spiritual secret).

Jesus is the Vine–the root, stem, branches, twigs, leaves, flowers, fruit, all indeed. Aye, and far more too! He is the soil and sunshine, air and rain-more than we can ask, think, or desire.Let us not then want to get anything out of Him, but rejoice in being ourselves in Him-one with Him, and, consequently, with all His fulness.

* * *

He is our creator, our sustainer, and the sea in which we will eventually swim. He is the vine, in which we are branches.

He is the shepherd of shepherds.

The inspirer of writers, the editor of writers, the literary agent of writers.

He is the parent of parents

The gardener of gardeners

The intelligence behind entrepreneurs who seek him

He is our all-sufficient everything, and we realize the truth of this gradually.

* * *

And what is Christ to me, at the moment?

Well, I have come to a point which took me a long time to reach: the point of brokenness.

Interestingly, my battles with weight have brought me there. I am really, really struggling to remember to eat low-calorie meals and to exercise enough everyday. To change my eating habits. Okay, I am breaking a lifetime of bad habits, so it’s not easy.

But like those struggling with alcohol, I reached the stage at which I realized I could not do it on my own.

* * *

And there were other things I realized I could not do on my own.

I am finding it hard to both blog and write books, though I long to do both. So I need God’s help with that too.

I need God’s help with discipline.

I need God’s help not to get side-tracked with social media—blogs, twitter and facebook and online newspapers.

I like the Alcoholics Anonymous 12 steps

  • Step 1 – We admit we are powerless over our addiction – that our lives have become unmanageable
  • Step 2 – We believe that a Power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity
  • Step 3 – We make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God

I have recently realized how I use food as a way to deal with uncomfortable emotions—stress, boredom, highs, lows, depression, emptiness, the occasional tantrums and negativity in family life. And this must stop.

* * *

How? In this respect, I am coming as a begging child to her father for remember to seek the filling and fullness of the Holy Spirit, whenever I am tempted to eat for comfort.

Come Holy Spirit. Veni Sancte Spiritus.

Filed Under: random

Baby Steps: A Guest Post by Emma Scrivener

By Anita Mathias

(Image credit)
Recently, I was reading an interview with Susan Boyle, (the singer who won X Factor and was catapulted from ordinary life to worldwide celebrity).  Understandably, Boyle struggled to cope with this transition and her mental health was gleefully discussed and dissected in the media. 


But more than the time she spent in therapy, I’ve been struck by a phrase she learned from her mum: and that I’ve learned from mine too. It’s this: ‘Baby steps’.

‘Baby steps’ implies a number of things.  Firstly,  take it a little at a time.

‘It’ can be anything, from bereavement to panic attacks – but the point is this: what seems overwhelming in one swallow, can sometimes be digested in little chunks. Conversely, when I try to take giant steps, I’m often overwhelmed and give up completely.  It’s not rocket science, but it’s worth remembering, especially when even getting out of a bed is a struggle.

In the times when I’ve been depressed, (as opposed to just a bit sad), a ‘day at a time’ can be far too much. Instead I’ve coped by poddling from minute to minute. Those minutes add up into hours and days and eventually, you get through them.  But taking on too much  sends me into a spiral of self-pity and self-contempt.

One thing to note however: baby steps are not the same as no steps at all.  It’s possible to exempt yourself from life and the challenges that are a part of recovery: to settle too quickly into a mindset of despair. Instead, I’ve found that little things – like sticking as much as possible to a normal routine or setting myself Very Small goals, can be a big help.  I never want to do them, but even if I’m frustrated, I’m feeling something instead of just giving up.

When a baby takes its first steps, everyone celebrates.  They don’t ask why he’s not jogging round the park.  In the same way, instead of beating ourselves up for what we can’t do, perhaps we can celebrate the things we can: no matter how insignificant these appear.

(Emma lives in Eastbourne and shares a house with her long-suffering hubby Glen and two feral cats. She writes about issues of identity and faith – including culture, infertility and eating disorders. Her book, ‘A New Name’ will be published this summer by IVP.  Emma blogs at A New Name.)

Filed Under: random

Missing the Banquet

By Anita Mathias

 

Missing the banquet
The same story, always.
No room in palaces, or
middle-class lounges. So
He goes where few
would choose to.  Down.
Among those working for small
 wages, hemmed
 in by circumstance, forced
 to be silent, still,
and awake
to see
the glory
of an angel-streaked sky,
and hear the promise
of Joy:
A Saviour.
And His simple, easily
missed gift:
Peace.
Whatever I may miss
In the hurly-burly of my days
Let it not be you,
Elusive, beloved one
Or the great banquet
To which you summon me,
In which you are the appetizer,
Meat and sweet.
Let me feast with you before
the day rushes in on me,
and through its quiet interstices.
Let this tragedy not be mine:
too busy with the field, the cow,
the barn to savour the banquet,
squinting at the endless to do list,
missing the dazzle of the rainbow.

Filed Under: random

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 28
  • 29
  • 30
  • 31
  • 32
  • …
  • 121
  • Next Page »

Sign Up and Get a Free eBook!

Sign up to be emailed my blog posts (one a week) and get the ebook of "Holy Ground," my account of working with Mother Teresa.

Join 536 Other Readers

My Books

Rosaries, Reading, Secrets: A Catholic Childhood in India

Rosaries, Reading Secrets, B&N
USA

UK

Wandering Between Two Worlds: Essays on Faith and Art

Wandering Between Two Worlds
USA

UK

Francesco, Artist of Florence: The Man Who Gave Too Much

Francesco, Artist of Florence
US

UK

The Story of Dirk Willems

The Story of Dirk Willems
US

UK

My Latest Meditation

Anita Mathias: About Me

Anita Mathias

Read my blog on Facebook

Follow me on Twitter

Follow @anitamathias1

Recent Posts

  • At the Cross, God Forgives Us Completely
  • Using God’s Gift of Our Talents: A Path to Joy and Abundance
  • The Kingdom of God is Here Already, Yet Not Yet Here
  • All Those Who Exalt Themselves Will Be Humbled & the Humble Will Be Exalted
  • Christ’s Great Golden Triad to Guide Our Actions and Decisions
  • How Jesus Dealt With Hostility and Enemies
  • Do Not Be Afraid, but Do Be Prudent
  • For Scoundrels, Scallywags, and Rascals—Christ Came
  • How to Lead an Extremely Significant Life
  • Don’t Walk Away From Jesus, but if You Do, He Still Looks at You and Loves You
Premier Digital Awards 2015 - Finalist - Blogger of the year
Runner Up Christian Media Awards 2014 - Tweeter of the year

Categories

What I’m Reading


Wolf Hall
Hilary Mantel

Wolf Hall --  Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Silence and Honey Cakes:
The Wisdom Of The Desert
Rowan Williams

Silence and Honey Cakes --  Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

The Long Loneliness:
The Autobiography of the Legendary Catholic Social Activist
Dorothy Day

The Long Loneliness --  Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Country Girl
Edna O'Brien

Country Girl  - Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Archive by month

My Latest Five Podcast Meditations

INSTAGRAM

anita.mathias

My memoir: Rosaries, Reading, Secrets https://amzn.to/42xgL9t
Oxford, England. Writer, memoirist, podcaster, blogger, Biblical meditation teacher, mum

Looking at photos from our week in beautiful Sevil Looking at photos from our week in beautiful Seville and Cordoba over New Year with Irene, who had a week off.
And, ICYMI, here’s my latest meditation on the Gospel of Matthew… I’ve recorded it, should you want a few minutes of peace.
https://anitamathias.com/2026/04/29/gods-complete-forgiveness/
Hello Friends, I'm resumed recording my meditation Hello Friends, I'm resumed recording my meditations on the Gospel of Matthew. Do click on this link to listen. 
https://anitamathias.com/.../29/gods-complete-forgiveness/
Christ is the most influential figure in the history of the world, though his life ended in shame, humiliation and failure. But he so completely turned things round in his great reversal that the cross on which he died when all seemed hopeless is now the most common, and revered, symbol in history.
He emerged from and was anchored in Judaism. And as the sins of the people were laid on the scapegoat who was sent into the wilderness to perish, Christ died as the lamb of God voluntarily bearing the guilt of the wrongdoing of the whole world. He paid the price for our forgiveness with his life-blood--in accordance with the iron law of the physical and moral universe, of sowing and reaping, cause and effect. 
And so, God, who appeared as flames of fire to Moses, can now dwell within us, purifying us, whose hearts have darkness and shards of ice. 
And now that Christ was crucified, died, but rose again, His Spirit, no longer contained within his earthly body, is poured out like living water onto all humans, at our humble request. The Spirit pours the love of God into us; he reminds us of the words of Jesus and slowly writes Christ’s sweet law on our hearts. This transfusion of grace helps us do hard things we previously couldn’t do. Our dance with the Spirit gradually breaks the power of sin over us. It transforms us.
Now we, the forgiven, protected by the blood of Jesus poured out over us, and filled with His Spirit, who sings within us, Abba, Father, are adopted by God as his children in his joyful new covenant. We are cells grafted into the vine of our new family--Father, Son, Spirit—who now live in us as we live in them. As we choose by our thoughts and actions to continue living in the vine of Jesus, their energy pulsing through us makes us fruitful. And now, all our prayers which flow in the river of God’s good purposes are kindly heard. Waves of love and power flood from the cross! 
Thank you!
Well, hello friends! Breaking radio silence to let Well, hello friends! Breaking radio silence to let you know that I have taped a meditation for you on Christ’s famous Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25. https://anitamathias.com/2025/11/05/using-gods-gift-of-our-talents-a-path-to-joy-and-abundance/
Here you are, click the play button in the blog post for a brief meditation, and some moments of peace, and, perhaps, inspiration in your day 🙂
Hi Friends, I have taped a meditation; do listen a Hi Friends, I have taped a meditation; do listen at this link: https://anitamathias.com/2025/04/08/the-kingdom-of-god-is-here-already-yet-not-yet-here-2/
It’s on the Kingdom of God, of which Christ so often spoke, which is here already—a mysterious, shimmering internal palace in which, in lightning flashes, we experience peace and joy, and yet, of course, not yet fully here. We sense the rainbowed presence of Christ in the song which pulses through creation. Christ strolls into our rooms with his wisdom and guidance, and things change. Our prayers are answered; we are healed; our hearts are strangely warmed. Sometimes.
And yet, we also experience evil within & all around us. Our own sin which can shatter our peace and the trajectory of our lives. And the sins of the world—its greed, dishonesty and environmental destruction.
But in this broken world, we still experience the glory of creation; “coincidences” which accelerate once we start praying, and shalom which envelops us like sudden sunshine. The portals into this Kingdom include repentance, gratitude, meditative breathing, and absolute surrender.
The Kingdom of God is here already. We can experience its beauty, peace and joy today through the presence of the Holy Spirit. But yet, since, in the Apostle Paul’s words, we do not struggle only “against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the unseen powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil,” its fullness still lingers…
Our daughter Zoe was ordained into the Church of E Our daughter Zoe was ordained into the Church of England in June. I have been on a social media break… but … better late than never. Enjoy!
First picture has my sister, Shalini, who kindly flew in from the US. Our lovely cousins Anthony and Sarah flank Zoe in the next picture.
The Bishop of London, Sarah Mullaly, ordained Zoe. You can see her praying that Zoe will be filled with the Holy Spirit!!
And here’s a meditation I’ve recorded, which you might enjoy. The link is also in my profile
https://anitamathias.com/2024/11/07/all-those-who-exalt-themselves-will-be-humbled-the-humble-will-be-exalted/
I have taped a meditation on Jesus statement in Ma I have taped a meditation on Jesus statement in Matthew 23, “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Do listen here. https://anitamathias.com/2024/11/07/all-those-who-exalt-themselves-will-be-humbled-the-humble-will-be-exalted/
Link also in bio.
And so, Jesus states a law of life. Those who broadcast their amazingness will be humbled, since God dislikes—scorns that, as much as people do.  For to trumpet our success, wealth, brilliance, giftedness or popularity is to get distracted from our life’s purpose into worthless activity. Those who love power, who are sure they know best, and who must be the best, will eventually be humbled by God and life. For their focus has shifted from loving God, doing good work, and being a blessing to their family, friends, and the world towards impressing others, being enviable, perhaps famous. These things are houses built on sand, which will crumble when hammered by the waves of old age, infirmity or adversity. 
God resists the proud, Scripture tells us—those who crave the admiration and power which is His alone. So how do we resist pride? We slow down, so that we realise (and repent) when sheer pride sparks our allergies to people, our enmities, our determination to have our own way, or our grandiose ego-driven goals, and ambitions. Once we stop chasing limelight, a great quietness steals over our lives. We no longer need the drug of continual achievement, or to share images of glittering travel, parties, prizes or friends. We just enjoy them quietly. My life is for itself & not for a spectacle, Emerson wrote. And, as Jesus advises, we quit sharp-elbowing ourselves to sit with the shiniest people, but are content to hang out with ordinary people; and then, as Jesus said, we will inevitably, eventually, be summoned higher to the sparkling conversation we craved. 
One day, every knee will bow before the gentle lamb who was slain, now seated on the throne. We will all be silent before him. Let us live gently then, our eyes on Christ, continually asking for his power, his Spirit, and his direction, moving, dancing, in the direction that we sense him move.
Link to new podcast in Bio https://anitamathias.co Link to new podcast in Bio https://anitamathias.com/2024/02/20/how-jesus-dealt-with-hostility-and-enemies/
3 days before his death, Jesus rampages through the commercialised temple, overturning the tables of moneychangers. Who gave you the authority to do these things? his outraged adversaries ask. And Jesus shows us how to answer hostile questions. Slow down. Breathe. Quick arrow prayers!
Your enemies have no power over your life that your Father has not permitted them. Ask your Father for wisdom, remembering: Questions do not need to be answered. Are these questioners worthy of the treasures of your heart? Or would that be feeding pearls to hungry pigs, who might instead devour you?
Questions can contain pitfalls, traps, nooses. Jesus directly answered just three of the 183 questions he was asked, refusing to answer some; answering others with a good question.
But how do we get the inner calm and wisdom to recognise
and sidestep entrapping questions? Long before the day of
testing, practice slow, easy breathing, and tune in to the frequency of the Father. There’s no record of Jesus running, rushing, getting stressed, or lacking peace. He never spoke on his own, he told us, without checking in with the Father. So, no foolish, ill-judged statements. Breathing in the wisdom of the Father beside and within him, he, unintimidated, traps the trappers.
Wisdom begins with training ourselves to slow down and ask
the Father for guidance. Then our calm minds, made perceptive, will help us recognise danger and trick questions, even those coated in flattery, and sidestep them or refuse to answer.
We practice tuning in to heavenly wisdom by practising–asking God questions, and then listening for his answers about the best way to do simple things…organise a home or write. Then, we build upwards, asking for wisdom in more complex things.
Listening for the voice of God before we speak, and asking for a filling of the Spirit, which Jesus calls streams of living water within us, will give us wisdom to know what to say, which, frequently, is nothing at all. It will quieten us with the silence of God, which sings through the world, through sun and stars, sky and flowers.
Especially for @ samheckt Some very imperfect pi Especially for @ samheckt 
Some very imperfect pictures of my labradoodle Merry, and golden retriever Pippi.
And since, I’m on social media, if you are the meditating type, here’s a scriptural meditation on not being afraid, while being prudent. https://anitamathias.com/2024/01/03/do-not-be-afraid-but-do-be-prudent/
A new podcast. Link in bio https://anitamathias.c A new podcast. Link in bio
https://anitamathias.com/2024/01/03/do-not-be-afraid-but-do-be-prudent/
Do Not Be Afraid, but Do Be Prudent
“Do not be afraid,” a dream-angel tells Joseph, to marry Mary, who’s pregnant, though a virgin, for in our magical, God-invaded world, the Spirit has placed God in her. Call the baby Jesus, or The Lord saves, for he will drag people free from the chokehold of their sins.
And Joseph is not afraid. And the angel was right, for a star rose, signalling a new King of the Jews. Astrologers followed it, threatening King Herod, whose chief priests recounted Micah’s 600-year-old prophecy: the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, as Jesus had just been, while his parents from Nazareth registered for Augustus Caesar’s census of the entire Roman world. 
The Magi worshipped the baby, offering gold. And shepherds came, told by an angel of joy: that the Messiah, a saviour from all that oppresses, had just been born.
Then, suddenly, the dream-angel warned: Flee with the child to Egypt. For Herod plans to kill this baby, forever-King.
Do not be afraid, but still flee? Become a refugee? But lightning-bolt coincidences verified the angel’s first words: The magi with gold for the flight. Shepherds
telling of angels singing of coming inner peace. Joseph flees.
What’s the difference between fear and prudence? Fear is being frozen or panicked by imaginary what-ifs. It tenses our bodies; strains health, sleep and relationships; makes us stingy with ourselves & others; leads to overwork, & time wasted doing pointless things for fear of people’s opinions.
Prudence is wisdom-using our experience & spiritual discernment as we battle the demonic forces of this dark world, in Paul’s phrase.It’s fighting with divinely powerful weapons: truth, righteousness, faith, Scripture & prayer, while surrendering our thoughts to Christ. 
So let’s act prudently, wisely & bravely, silencing fear, while remaining alert to God’s guidance, delivered through inner peace or intuitions of danger and wrongness, our spiritual senses tuned to the Spirit’s “No,” his “Slow,” his “Go,” as cautious as a serpent, protected, while being as gentle as a lamb among wolves.
Follow on Instagram

© 2026 Dreaming Beneath the Spires · All Rights Reserved. · Cookie Policy · Privacy Policy