It’s a feeling that resonates across generations, and it’s right at the heart of the Book of Tobit.
Our story begins with Tobi, a righteous man living in exile, who is now blind. He remembers depositing a large sum of money in a distant land and decides it's time for his son, Tobiyyah, to retrieve it. Tobi calls his son and says, "Prepare what you need for the journey, and go with your brother, and may God Almighty lead you in peace, and bring you back in peace, and send his angel with you, and prosper your journey."
Notice how Tobi is so certain that God will send an angel to protect his son on his journey. It's a beautiful expression of faith, isn’t it?
Tobiyyah, obedient and loving, kisses his father and mother goodbye. "Go in peace," they say, a traditional blessing, a hope woven into those simple words. And so, he sets off.
But the mother, Hannah, is overcome with anxiety. Mothers, right? Always worrying. She turns to Tobi, her voice thick with tears, "How could you send our young son away? He is the son of our old age, who goes out and comes in before us! And without that money, our God will keep us alive."
Can you feel the weight of her fear? It’s palpable. She sees the journey as fraught with danger, the loss of their son as potentially devastating. Her faith is being tested, strained by the very real possibility of loss.
Tobi, ever the steadfast one, tries to reassure her. "Fear not, my sister," he says, "for he will go in peace and will come back to us in peace, and your eyes shall see him. And the Lord our God will send his angel with him, and will prosper his journey, and he will return in peace."
He repeats the same assurances, the same prayers, almost as if to fortify his own belief, as well as hers. He emphasizes the promise of divine protection, clinging to the hope that an angel will indeed guide and guard their son.
But Hannah, unconvinced, "wept yet more." Her tears are a testament to a mother's love, a mother's vulnerability, and a mother's deep-seated fear.
This small passage from the Book of Tobit captures something profound about the human condition. It's about faith in the face of uncertainty, the bond between parent and child, and the universal hope for a safe return. It’s a reminder that even in the midst of fear and doubt, we can find solace in prayer, in the promise of divine protection, and in the unwavering love that binds us together. What journeys are we sending our loved ones on today, and what anxieties do we carry in our hearts as we do?