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So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it (Hebrews 2:1). Only in this way (by becoming a human being and dying as a human being) could he (Jesus) deliver those who have lived all their lives as slaves to the fear of death (Hebrews 2:15).

We’re in the anniversary month—if we can bear to use that upbeat term “anniversary”—of this pandemic experience.

A pandemic isn’t exactly like persecution, but we can certainly draw parallels. And one big parallel is the fear of death that hovers over, around and through those living through either one.

I think we can agree there are levels to the fear of death. If we ask, “The death of what?” we can come up with some of those. The death of ourselves, of course. The death of our loved ones. But also, the death of our way of life, or of our livelihood. Or, after the persecution or pandemic has lasted a long time, perhaps we even fear the death of our faith.

The book of Hebrews is addressed to Jewish Christians who have been persecuted long and hard. (More on this in chapter 10.) They stood strong at the beginning, but, then…  Well, you know how it is—believers can get exhausted. They can become disheartened and wonder if it’s worth the fight. 

Unlike our pandemic experience, these Jewish Christians’ persecution was directly connected to their faith in Jesus. All they really had to do to get relief was be done with their faith, or at least to tone it down to stay under the Roman radar.

Most of us haven’t experienced full-out persecution for our faith the way they had. We can, however, identify with going into a difficult situation full of faith and then letting that faith drift away. When we wake up to what it is happening, we may fear that our faith is dying.

This is what the author of Hebrews addressed by telling how God had designed each detail of Judaism to represent Jesus and help His people recognize Him at His coming. It was his way of endeavoring to rescue their faith from death and stabilize it.

If there is anything we could use after a year of this dark unsettling pandemic, it is a stabilization of our faith with the truth of Jesus. Truth such as The Son is the radiance of God’s glory (Hebrews 1:3a) is a good place to start.

Have a talk with God about how stable your faith seems to be these days. Remember, we aren’t the first ones to struggle with this. Nor is it the first time we have needed to admit we’re struggling.

Some in our church family may fear their faith is dying. Let’s pray for them.

We are surrounded by many whose faith—if it existed at all—is drifting or dying. Let’s pray that they will meet Jesus. After all, He is the expert at building a stable faith that is full of life.