On this Mothering Sunday, Dave spoke about mothers – the definition being a woman who has given birth to a child, but also broadened to those who care for children, even if they are not her own. The joy of motherhood can be exaggerated (often confined to when the children are in bed!), but mothers inevitably sacrifice for their children. Children are self-centred and mothers may well crave peace, but a child can do something which melts the heart and makes every sacrifice worthwhile. Troubles and difficulties fade away when a mother sees her children launching forth and making her proud.

God says even if a mother could forget her own child (which is rare indeed), He would never forget His children. (Is 49;15) We are God’s children,.He has sacrificed so much for us, cares for us and loves us with an unfailing love. He supports and comforts us just as a mother does. He is the greatest mother (and father) we could ever hope to have.

In the realm of fantasy and science-fiction novels, the concept of parallel universes (a world conceived of as coexisting with and having certain similarities to the known world but different from it in some fundamental way) is quite common. C. S. Lewis wrote of the world of Narnia which co-existed with the London of the 1940s; Star Trek episodes often allude to alternate realities with different outcomes to the ‘standard’ world. The ‘metaverse’ is a phrase used to describe a series of digital spaces which can be traversed seamlessly; the idea of different universes is something we can imagine, even if scientific reality has yet to catch up with imagination!

The Bible speaks of two kingdoms and two worlds: the physical world we inhabit and can see, touch, hear and feel, and the spiritual world which is invisible to our physical senses but which, it declares, is as real; the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the devil. (Eph 6:10-20, see also 2 Kings 6:16-17) Christians live with a foot in both camps, so to speak. We live on earth, but our citizenship is in heaven. (Phil 3:20) We face the temptations of the world (‘the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life’, as John puts it in 1 John 2:16), but the Spirit of God also lives within us to produce the life of God. (Romans 8:1-17)

The book of Revelation acts as the unveiling of this unseen universe, with John giving us many glimpses into what he saw in heaven (the common name given to this spiritual universe.) In Revelation 11:15-19, we see another such scene, with loud voices in heaven proclaiming, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.” (Rev 11:15) A time will come, the Bible confidently declares, when the unseen universe will be visible to all, when Jesus will come again, not in obscurity but in power and visible to all. At this point, the confident declaration that ‘You have taken Your great power and begun to reign’ (Rev 11:17) will be heard, and true judgment and justice will be seen. The imagery of this scene, with its temple, ark of the covenant, flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm, contains elements with which we can all relate, but the truths of this invisible universe made visible are beyond our imagination or wildest dreams. Nonetheless, the Bible declares this universe to be real and true, and the response of the twenty-four elders (symbolising the whole church) remains valid: they fell on their faces and worshipped God. (Rev 11:16) This, too, should be our response as we consider the sovereignty of God and the reality of His kingdom and rule and reign.

Fear only came into the world after Adam sinned (see Gen 3:6-10); after sin, man feared God in a bad way, aware that He was holy and pure (unlike us) and that we deserved punishment for our disobedience and sin. The world does not necessarily believe in God and therefore does not fear Him, fears can be healthy in keeping us safe from harm. Nonetheless, some fears (often called phobias, from the Greek word for fear) are unhealthy and do not lead to happiness or freedom.

Machiavelli, an Italian diplomat, author, philosopher and historian who lived in the 15th and 16th centuries wrote that ‘it is better to be feared than to be loved, if one cannot be both.’ He argued that fear was a good motivator and an effective tool for leaders. Certainly, many governments have used fear to control people (think of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution in 1792/3 or the Red Terror in Soviet Russia in the early 20th century.) Fear was used unashamedly by political leaders during the Covid pandemic, especially through Government posters and propaganda. Their fear tactics still have ongoing effects to this day. To use fear to control behaviour is never God’s way.

God wants us to fear Him and remove all other fear from our lives. Fear of God is a respect for the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Matt 10:28); it is not an enslaving fear. Jesus told us that if we love Him, we will obey His commands (John 14:15); love is the greatest motivator, not fear. God is our refuge and strength, our help (Ps 46:1-3); He is our protector and refuge. (Ps 91:1-6) Because the Lord is with us, we need not fear (Ps 118:6-7). Because Jesus has overcome death and the devil, we no longer have to fear either. (Heb 2:14-15) God has the power to break captivating, traumatising fear and set us free so we can love and serve Him gladly..