Old Habits, New Insecurities

*** der deutsche Text wurde gestern hier eingestellt.

This Bible Impulse is by Anna from Debrecen. She is one of the theologians in our team for the European study conference for theology students, which had to be postponed till next year.
When I walk through the streets in Debrecen, which is sometimes called the Calvinist Rome, I notice that people have rather quickly gotten used to all that the Corona Virus brought us.

The rhythm of daily life soon began its usual pulse. On the outside we are used to it,even if the face masks are a little too damp and unpleasant. This is part of daily life. Just like disinfectants, distancing, and a Corona testing tube in our pockets on the way to the dentist.

On the inside, we live with and by our old habits and we add new fears and insecurities. This is something we have to deal with nowadays. I think we need faith and creativity in order to re-phrase our old habits (the actual ones and those we only think about), or even leave them behind completely, so that we may live with these new fears and insecurities.

As a Christian I believe that this would be impossible without faith and without the creativity of the Holy Spirit. And I am eminded of the Calling of Simon Peter in Luke 5, 1-11, the miraculous catch of fish. Christ said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” The deep symbolizes uncertainty, the fear of human kind. It is in the deep that our fears and old habits dwell. But with Christ in our boat, with faith, we can cast our nets into the deep and bring light to under the water. With faith from deep down we are even able to bring up treasure. Such treasure allows us to re-phrase old habits and befriend new fears and insecurities. To transform my life from catching fish to catching people. What else is this but the re-phrasing of old habits and to live on with new fears and insecurities? That is what faith in Crist and the creativity of the Holy Spirit do for us.

Annamaria Seres