PARISH VOICES

Recently my dog Charlie had to make a trip to the vet for an open sore on his foot that just wouldn't heal. They sent him home with antibiotics and the infamous cone of shame to keep him from licking the wound so it could finally recover. As I watched him navigate life with limited vision, I noticed he bounced between freezing and panicking, and both reactions only made things worse. As I tried to help him adjust, I couldn't help but think about how we sometimes live with our

If you open your Bible to the Christmas story, you’ll find an interesting pattern. The angel Gabriel appears to Zacharias and says, “Do not be afraid” (Luke 1:13). Gabriel also visits Mary and says, “Do not be afraid” (Luke 1:30). An angel appears to Joseph in a dream and says, “Do not be afraid” (Matthew 1:20). A host of angels appears to the shepherds in the field, and the shepherds hear, “Do not be afraid” (Luke 2:10). Of course, the angels said much more than this o