Homily, Gators and God
The Ninth Sunday after the Pentecost (Proper 14C), 2025
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
Plant City, FL
The Rev. Derek M Larson, TSSF
Today’s Lectionary Readings:
Isaiah 1:1, 10-20
Psalm 50:1-8, 23-24
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
Luke 12:32-40
In the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
What are you most afraid of?
When I was in college my brother and I took up kayaking in the lakes and rivers of central Florida so that I could face one of my greatest childhood fears: alligators.
When I was a small child I was terrified of gators. We lived on a lake that had way too many of them and we heard stories everyday of gators climbing over fences, and attacking neighborhood dogs or even people at times. At one point the problem was bad enough that mom wouldn’t let me play outside alone and the city had to come and remove a lot of those gators. I remember them stacked up in the back of this pickup truck with their dead tales still moving. And so I was afraid of gators. They gave me nightmares.
Many years later, when my brother and I started kayaking together, I was still afraid of them! We’d be kayaking through these tight spaces and my eyes would always be on the lookout for gators that could pop up from the water at any moment. I’d make my brother go around the little river bends first. Any little stick floating in the water my mind immediately saw as a gator. And when we came across real gators, which of course was often, I’d be sure to always give them lots and lots of space and if possible, choose a different direction. I was ready and watchful.
To be honest, I didn’t enjoy those first few times kayaking; it was just too stressful. It was tiring moving through water on high alert the whole time, always expecting the worst. Seeing danger around every corner. My whole experience of kayaking was gripped by this old childhood fear.
That’s the way fear can be though, can’t it?When we’re afraid of something, it shapes the way we see the world. When we’re afraid of something we use so much energy imagining the worst—seeing the possibility of danger around every corner. We’re watchful and ready for whatever we fear.
If we’re afraid of disease or death, for example, we might see it wherever we go. How many of us spend a little too much time on WebMD? Small and common things like occasional headaches or an upset stomach might worry us. We might move through life always expecting illness, watchful for the worst case scenario.
Or if we’re afraid of rejection, we might move through life on the defensive in our relationships. Maybe we try to control or cling to people around us to avoid the possibility of losing them. Perhaps we don’t enter into new relationships because we fear the risk is too great.
Or if we’re afraid of financial insecurity—of not having enough—we might move through life always on the lookout for overdue bills, unexpected expenses, letters of termination. We might let our anxiety about the possibility of financial insecurity drive our life so that it’s hard to see anything else. Maybe we obsess with looking for ways to make or save money wherever we go so that we know we’ll always have enough.
Like moving through the water with a fear of gators, often we move through life with an obsessive watchfulness for all the things we fear. I wonder what it is that you fear.
What I learned about kayaking though, is that when we’re focused on what we fear, we miss out on all the goodness and beauty that surrounds us. Those first few times out on the kayak, we’d be in these beautiful places, but I was so focused on my fear of gators that it was hard for me to fully appreciate it. We see what we’re looking for.
Our gospel reading today begins with the words, “Do not be afraid, little flock” and it ends with the words, “You must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.” Do not be afraid! You must be ready for the Son of Man.
In life we are often watchful and ready for whatever it is we fear, but what would it look like to be watchful and ready for the presence of Christ? What if rather than going through life focusing on the bad things that could happen we focused on the good and beautiful ways Christ is showing up in our midst? What if we opened our hearts to be ready for Christ to show up wherever we are?
Now, that’d be a beautiful way of living, wouldn’t it?
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Whatever we treasure, whatever we protect, whatever we hold dear, that’s what the focus of our lives is going to be. So if we’re spending all of our energy holding onto our fears, that’s what we’ll see in life. We’ll see the world as a dangerous place from which to protect ourselves. But if we spend our energy watching for Christ to show up, we’ll begin to see the beauty of the world he is making.
You see the difference?
Are we watching for gators or God?
So what is it that you most fear?
What are you watching for around every corner. Waiting for around every bend? Is it something you fear, or is it the coming of Christ who comforts you with his words, “Do not be afraid little flock.”
This week as some of you begin a new school year and others continue with an ordinary Monday, notice where it is you are placing your attention. Jesus is inviting you to let go of your fear in order to see the beauty of his presence. That’s a habit that takes time to cultivate, but one that is worth every bit of it.
It’s been a long time since my brother and I first took up kayaking, but now I love it. The beauty of being out there on the water is incredible. And the gators? They may be dangerous, but they were never really out there to get me. I overcame that fear. And what made the difference was simply where I placed my attention.
So do not be afraid, little flock. Do not let fear consume your attention. Instead, be ready. Be ready for the beauty of Christ and God’s grace in every moment. Amen.
Questions for Reflection
- What are the fears in my life that shape my daily experiences and decisions? How do they influence my perspective on the world around me?
- In what ways do I observe the presence of Christ in my life? Am I more focused on potential dangers or the beauty and goodness around me?
- How could I shift my attention from what I fear to the blessings and opportunities for grace that exist in my life?
- What practices can I adopt to help cultivate a mindset that is watchful for the presence of God rather than fixating on my fears?
- As I enter this new season, what specific steps can I take to let go of fear and embrace the beauty of my surroundings and the love of Christ?
Thoughts on Faith 