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Hwvar Khoshnow acknowledges the heavy weight of fear, and lightness of hope in the promise of its passing.

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Hwvar is a 24 year old, Kurdish-Australian woman who is studying social work at Western Sydney University.

Today's reading is Jeremiah 31:31-34

I have found myself wide awake deep into the night, chest tight and stomach churning more often than not this past year. Fear has been a frequent visitor, showing up indiscriminately and without warning.

What am I scared of?

I am gripped with fear for the babies on Nauru whose lives continue to be stolen with every passing second.

I am gripped with fear for our earth as we continue to pillage and plunder without concern.

I am gripped with fear for our nation’s heart as we continue to ignore the systemic injustices in place that hurt Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.

I am gripped with fear as I feel my heart hardening toward those that do not think like me, as I turn farther and farther away from loving those who do wrong to me (and those who look like me).

I am gripped with fear as I ask, “How can we fix this?”  

This year has been tough. The kids are still on Nauru, we have yet to commit to being faithful stewards of this Earth and we are as divided as ever. The injustice of this world can sit heavily on our backs as we struggle to lift our eyes and look to God. How can you forgive us? Are you still with us? These are the questions that often bring me to my knees.

Fear is often paralysing, it keeps us in darkness and offers no hope. The fear will come, and it will pass. We turn to Jeremiah 31:31-34 today and rejoice. The God of inexplicable kindness and generosity offers a new covenant. A chance at redemption, a chance to sign this new covenant and know that in the midst of fear, it’s not too late.

It is not too late.

This is for everyone, from “the least of them to the greatest”, me and YOU. Fear reminds us that things are not as they should be, but there is no need to stay in that place of hopelessness. This new covenant is a promise that we are forgiven, and that God is still (and always will be) with us. This new covenant reminds us that we are God’s people and with every new day there are opportunities to roll up our sleeves and get to work.

Jeremiah 31:31-34

A New Covenant

31 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.

Fear Not: An Advent series from Common Grace

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The Humble Path

Scott Sanders launches our Advent series by getting lost in the bush and finding the humble path - at expense of his pride.

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Space and Time to Change

Charlene Delos Santos gets a reality check about racism in Australia, but sees the possibility for kingdom-centred change in all of us - just maybe not the way we expect.

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Silent Fears

In Zechariah’s silence, Michelle Farrall finds the strength to confront her own fears. Albeit reluctantly.

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Past and Present Fears

Dr Meredith Lake looks back at our history, the good and the bad, and asks how fear drives our engagement in the world today.

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A Universal Problem

“Fear causes people to hold tightly to what we have”. On day 6 of Advent, Grace Lung reflects on letting go of fear and embracing trust.

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Songs That Ache

Songs full of ache, promise and encouragement. Rev Christine Redwood reflects on these different songs in her search for justice and healing.

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An Impossible Prayer

Father Shenouda Mansour teaches us to pray impossible prayers, knowing that no prayer goes unheard – though it may be answered unexpectedly.

· by Stephen O'Doherty

Perfect Love

Fear that motivates and fear that paralyses. Stephen O’Doherty breaks down how perfect love is the antidote to these conditions.

· by Elizabeth Stone

Disrupters of Old

Disruption, drought and dodgy knees. Elizabeth Stone reminds us of the long tradition of changemakers we belong to.

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Longing for Salvation

Brad Chilcott finds in Isaiah’s song a call to challenge the cultural, global and internal enemies that divide us, as we join in God’s holistic salvation for this world.

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Being Present with Our Fear

Liz Milani validates Mary’s fear, and learns from her example how we might navigate our own fear and uncertainty, without yielding to it.

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Fear that leads to action

When confronted with the reality of our climate crisis, Jason John urges us that our response needs to be faith in action, not helpless fear.

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A Passing Fear

Hwvar Khoshnow acknowledges the heavy weight of fear, and lightness of hope in the promise of its passing.

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Life, not Death

Stevie Wills was strangled by the umbilical cord at birth. She shares her journey of connecting with her living and letting go of the fear of death.


This series has been produced by Common Grace,
with support from Christian Super.