Do Not Be Afraid, I Am With You
- Kathleen Mock
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
You may be familiar with a short story by Ann Wood, The Little Boy on the Train, in which she describes a young boy who wanted to travel by train, alone, to visit his grandmother. He had made the trip several times with his parents, and he felt he was ready to venture on the journey solo. At the train station, his father slipped him a note to put in his pocket, telling his son to read the message if he felt afraid or anxious. The voyage started off wonderfully, but eventually the boy did, indeed, become frightened. He remembered the note his father had handed him, and when he retrieved it from his pocket, he smiled at the words which said, “Don’t worry son, I’m in the next car.”
This past weekend we celebrated the Feast of the Ascension. In Luke’s Gospel, and again in the Acts of the Apostles (also written by Luke), we are told that 40 days after Easter, Christ said goodbye to his disciples and returned to His Father in Heaven. His job on Earth was complete, and it was now time for his disciples to carry the torch. After experiencing Jesus’ Passion, Death, and Resurrection, no doubt the disciples were frightened and lacked confidence to carry on Christ’s mission without him. But, as in the story of the boy on the train, whose father was sure his son could and should make the journey alone, remaining close by “just in case,” Jesus, too, asks each of us to be brave and forge ahead, while always standing right by our side.
The world I grew up in was quite a bit different than it is today. In Kindergarten, I walked to school, about 8-10 blocks, with friends from my neighborhood. We had to cross a busy intersection where a crossing guard directed traffic, and in first grade I rode my bike to school using a hand-me-down from my cousin with a cool banana seat. We played outside until the street lights came on or we heard our parents shout from the doorway that dinner was ready. There were very few organized sports, but we planned our own games and teams, and made our own rules. Through trial and error, and lots of fraternal correction, we figured things out. Of course, our parents were nearby and we knew that, but they gave us enough rope to learn independence.
I certainly do not pine for “the old days” and I appreciate all of the wonderful technological advances in the last half-century, but I do believe parents today are a bit too protective. It is absolutely imperative to ensure the safety of children, but the constant hovering and managing every move is not healthy or helpful. Jesus knew enough to “get out of the way” and let the disciples grow. It might be a tactic to consider.
Deo Gratias, Kathy
