Greetings!

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41: 10

Appearances are deceiving. I smile every time I scroll past this picture on my telephone. It is a picture of me on the west coast of Norway preparing to do my very best Mary Poppin’s imitation. Of course, there was no risk to me taking this picture, nor was there any danger for the photographer. The platform may appear fragile, but was actually solidly built into the mountainside. Of course, people with a fear of heights might still be anxious peering over the railing at the valley floor, 1500 feet below, but it was completely safe. Appearances are deceiving.

There is a favorite place for our family to visit in the Pálffy Palace (Danube Art Gallery) in Bratislava, Slovakia known as Passage, by Matej Krén. It is an installation which seems to span several floors. When you enter the passage, you see a tiny bridge running between a canyon of books. The span is so small that people are afraid to walk from one side to the other. I have actually known people who have crossed the bridge on their hands and knees terrified that they will fall off the bridge into the endless ravine below, but appearances are deceiving. Everything is on solid ground on one floor. It is all a matter of mirrors and reflections.

The world is filled with illusions that can frighten us. Sometimes they are mere optical illusions, but on other occasions, they truly can be forces that would do us harm. The real challenge is knowing the difference. Sadly, there are times when our fears and perceptions get the best of us and we begin to speak of existential fears often related to death, freedom, isolation, and meaninglessness. Fear can paralyze us from moving forward. Scripture reminds that we need not be afraid.

The summer has been challenging for many families at Lake of the Isles. They have battled issues of health, death, sickness,
loss of work and hope for the future. Perhaps, you count yourself in that number. Remember that appearances are deceiving. There is never a moment when you are not safely held in the gentle caress of God’s loving hand.

Peace, Pastor Arden Haug