{"id":26889,"date":"2026-04-29T09:19:30","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T13:19:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/?p=26889"},"modified":"2026-04-29T09:53:40","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T13:53:40","slug":"26889","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/?p=26889","title":{"rendered":"Breathing in Love, Breathing out Fear"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Out of Hiding (Official Lyric Video) - Steffany Gretzinger &amp; Amanda Cook | The Undoing\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XFkDqQtfs0w?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Breathing in Love, Breathing out Fear<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Wednesday, April 29, 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/email.cac.org\/t\/d-l-gkkljky-dkgktyktu-y\/\">READ ON CAC.ORG<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Author Diana Butler Bass recounts how fear continued to accompany the disciples well after the resurrection:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you remember back several weeks, you might recall the reading for the first Sunday of Easter:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, \u201cPeace be with you.\u201d\u2026 Jesus said to them again, \u201cPeace be with you\u2026.\u201d When he had said this, he breathed on them\u2026. [John 20:19\u201322].<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2026. The end of the Easter season is also the end of the first half of the Christian year. The cycle of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, and Easter focus on the story of Jesus\u2014the promise of his coming, his birth, the light he brings to the world, the seriousness of his mission, his execution, and the mystery of his resurrection\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And here\u2019s the odd thing, something I never really noticed until this year. <strong>Fear is foundational to the first half of the year.<\/strong> It isn\u2019t just that the disciples were afraid after Jesus died. The story began\u2014way back in Advent\u2014with the angel telling Mary, \u201cFear not!\u201d\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Six months later in the church year, Jesus\u2019 story ends with \u201cPeace I leave with you \u2026 do not let your hearts be afraid\u201d.\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the author of 1 John later wrote, \u201cThere is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear\u201d [1 John 4:18]. I think that is the point of Jesus\u2019 life, the story we retrace in the first half of the Christian year, the culmination of which is the Easter season:&nbsp;<em>Perfect love casts out fear.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Butler Bass acknowledges that fear is a biological response and universal experience, but that Jesus\u2019s assurance is also true<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cJesus said to them again, \u2018Peace be with you\u2026.\u2019 When he had said this, he breathed on them\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPeace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The door opens toward love\u2014the love of God, the love of neighbor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I can\u2019t explain it. All I know is that it is right. And I feel it. <strong>When I\u2019m scared, I breathe. My breath. Sacred breath. Spirit breath. The in, out, in, out, in, out of life. My heart slows and opens, making room for the other, giving space to love. In, out, in, out. Breathe in peace. Breathe out love.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Peace, love. Peace, love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fear abates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Perfect love casts out fear.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think of the first words of scripture, how \u201cin the beginning\u201d there was nothing but chaos. <strong>Then, God breathed. Chaos was transformed by that breath into a world of beauty and sustenance.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Easter began in confusion and terror behind a locked door. Now, it comes to a quiet conclusion in the breathing \u2026 the promise and possibility of new creation. Peace, love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Perhaps that\u2019s what is meant by resurrection. Being raised from the deadened weight of fear to love.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>=====================<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From Bradley Jersak<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/2cf57799-8b7c-4e34-ad75-45912e2dc568?j=eyJ1IjoiMmRrajIifQ.ND0qR5RKsmVnltuWgIlyr3BY7uwq2Kt9ZzX29UJK4cg\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"> THIS SHEPHERD\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Brothers, sisters,<br>Siblings in Christ<br>(and who isn\u2019t?).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re&nbsp;<em>all<\/em>&nbsp;the sheep of his pasture,<br>and Jesus is truly our good, good Shepherd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>This Shepherd Good,<\/strong><\/em><br>whose birth to earth,<br>whose great descent<br>into our Hades\u2014<br>saved and saves us<br>(not least from ourselves).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>This Shepherd Great<\/strong><\/em><br>sought and found me<br>tangled in thorns,<br>gorging on blackberries,<br>(blood-sweet, in tears),<br>lips stained red with guilt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>This Shepherd Gentle,<\/strong><\/em><br>whose clarion voice I knew,<br>called and called&nbsp;<br>and called until I lay down.<br>(Did he make me?<br>Or did&nbsp;<em>I<\/em>&nbsp;break me?).<br>Yes. In him we rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>This Shepherd Guide<\/strong><\/em><br>leads me on right paths,<br>to quiet waters,<br>if I consent,<br>when I don\u2019t resist<br>as soon as I surrender<br>(one day at a time).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>This Shepherd Kind<\/strong><\/em><br>so gentle, ever attentive,<br>and woah! Oh so severe,<br>this Mama Bear,<br>in the shadowy gulch,<br>warding off darkness and dread&nbsp;<br>even in death\u2019s false victories.<br><br><em><strong>This Shepherd Strong<\/strong><\/em><br>who never,&nbsp;<em>ever<\/em><br>breaks a little lamb\u2019s leg\u2014<br>no shepherd has or does.<br>But the serpents\u2019 skull\u2026<br>hangs crushed,<br>a trophy above his hearth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>This Shepherd Love<\/strong><\/em><strong>\u2014<br><\/strong>If&nbsp;<em>harm<\/em>&nbsp;were his way to save us,<br>he is not good at it. No good at all.<br>And though long-suffering stings,<br>the whispers of wise Love&nbsp;<br>gently persuade us home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>This Shepherd\u2019s Love<br><\/strong><\/em>takes time\u2014<br>wades through mess\u2014<br>then pours rivers of oil,<br>of mercy,<br>of gladness,<br>of life<br>through our parched souls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>This Shepherd Host,<br><\/strong><\/em>at whose table wide<br>we dine and wine&nbsp;<br>(or whine)<br>with enemies<br>until they\u2019re not<br>(pass the salt,\u2026 friend?).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>This Shepherd King<br><\/strong><\/em>cross-shaped throne,<br>thorny crown,<br>leads us<br>through hell,<br>through bed,<br>through bath,<br>and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Into his house,<br>where we dwell.<br>At his table,<br>we feast.<br>In his flock,<br>we gather<br>without lack,<br>souls restored\u2026<br>or will be soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All our days<br>all our nights,<br>every dusk and dawn<br>of our lives,<br>of his life<br>forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">WELCOME TO HIS TABLE<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>So, my friends, takeaways\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He\u2019s a good, good Shepherd,<br>He knows you so well,<br>calls you by name,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You do know his voice,&nbsp;<br>you have followed his lead,<br>even through deep, dangerous gulleys,<br>sometimes co-suffering with you,<br><br>But&nbsp;<em>always<\/em>&nbsp;I hear him promise,<br><em>\u201dI will never abandon you,<br>I know the way through,<br>back to the Table,<br>My Table.<br>Where you and all are most welcome.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Breathing in Love, Breathing out Fear Wednesday, April 29, 2026 READ ON CAC.ORG Author Diana Butler Bass recounts how fear continued to accompany the disciples well after the resurrection: If you remember back several weeks, you might recall the reading for the first Sunday of Easter: When it was evening on that day, the first [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26889"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=26889"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26889\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26895,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26889\/revisions\/26895"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=26889"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=26889"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=26889"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}