Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ (Mark 10:46-47)

This healing story leans on ideas of Jesus as a Davidic messiah who will bring mercy and justice – healing the blind. But what of the name – ‘son of fear’? What are the ways in which our fears blind us? Fear blinds us from seeing the everyday good around us. Fear blinds us from seeing the needs of others – we are caught up in our own perceived problems. Fear stops us from being our true, full selves – our fears have us looking over our shoulder in case we made a mistake, rather than celebrating this moment.

I think we do our young people a service by sharing the ways in which fears can work. Fears hold us back and we need to be liberated…from ourselves. Fears blind us from seeing our fears. Faith can be a way where we become freed to be our true selves. God’s love, reflected through our family and friends, can free us from our fears so that we can see the fears for what they are – the shadows of love.

Have a great week!
Patrick