Today’s author is Naomi Sveholm. Naomi is a missionary teaching in Bratislava, Slovakia, and the Education Coordinator for the ELCA’s Central Europe Teachers program. To learn more about CET, follow us at www.facebook.com/elcacet or www.instagram.com/elcacet
One of the reasons I am an English teacher is that I find language so fascinating. I work primarily with advanced students, so much of the vocabulary work is very nuanced. Why do we talk about superior workers instead of supreme workers? Why is information generally positive when it is revealed, but negative when it is exposed?
A recent lesson in multiculturalism led to discussions about motivations for moving abroad and how language can help identify those: an expat is a person who chooses to live abroad temporarily; an immigrant also chooses to live abroad for many of the same reasons as an expat, but more permanently; a refugee is motivated to move, either temporarily or permanently, because they are fleeing for survival, often in fear.
In the parable of the talents, the third servant buries the money he is entrusted with, saying that he was afraid. Fear is a strong emotion that can lead us to many different actions. Fear for our physical being can lead to violence and striking out. Fear of change, failure, or rejection can be paralyzing. Fear of loneliness can make us susceptible to people and relationships that are unhealthy or influence us negatively. Fear of death can lead to filling time without concern for meaning or value.
One positive change I have noticed in recent years is work toward destigmatizing mental health challenges. People are opening up about their real struggles with anxiety and depression, the therapists they’re seeing, and the steps they are taking to be healthier.
Are we fleeing our fears and ignoring them? Or letting our fears paralyze us? How can we come to a place, through our relationships with God, ourselves, and others, of being healthy enough to face our fears and stop hiding our talents?
Dear God,
Fear separates me from you and causes me to hide my talents. When I am fearful and anxious, remind me to stop and breathe. You, God, are the breath that fills me.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen