Trusting and Being Trustworthy

Dear friends,

Fear impacts us in a more primal manner than so many other emotions. Fear is driven by our amygdala: an almond-sized part of our brain that is among the oldest and most primitive regions of the brain, having evolved 200 million years ago. Fear causes a deep and visceral reaction. Our reactions to fearful stimuli are so strong that they can overwhelm us and control our lives. However, trust is one way we learn to control and manage our fear. Trust allows us to learn to be vulnerable around others despite our fear. Trust enables us to be generous with our finances, even giving up some of our financial security and safety. Trust allows us to put our faith in others, developing lasting and meaningful relationships.

As we continue our journey looking at sacred relationships, we are considering our call to trust others this week. We are also thinking about our call to help others trust us: to be trustworthy people.

Our Christian heritage tells us that we all need to have a community where we practice trust. A place where we can honestly share our challenges, ask others to pray for us, reciprocate by praying for others, and support those who are struggling. If you don’t have a community like this, I invite you to reach out to Owene Courtney ([email protected]) and she can help put you in a small group for this Lenten season. God bless you as you practice trust this week!

In Christ,

Mark+