Today, I witnessed a scene from my balcony that seemed almost staged for reflection. Picture this: a sleek black cat, moving confidently across the courtyard, its path intersecting with two boys on bicycles. The first boy, upon seeing the cat, suddenly brakes and veers away. "I'm going around!" he shouts to his friend. But the second boy, flashing a carefree smile, continues on his path, undeterred.

I recognized the second boy—his name is Ilya, the eldest son of a family from my church. Every Sunday, I see him with his parents and younger siblings at the Liturgy. It struck me that for someone raised in the faith, the idea of fearing a black cat might not even exist. Perhaps he had never heard of the superstition at all.

But then, I took a closer look at the first boy. He seemed familiar too. And suddenly, I realized—I knew him from church as well. His recent haircut had momentarily made him unrecognizable.

How could this be? Someone who regularly attends church, yet still afraid of a superstition?

Then, I remembered my own past. When I first came to faith, I still clung to old beliefs, treating superstitions as harmless precautions—"just in case." Over time, I came to understand that superstition is not merely unnecessary but fundamentally opposed to Christian faith. It is a form of pseudo-belief, a reliance on chaotic signs and symbols instead of trust in God. A superstitious person sees the world as unpredictable and full of hidden dangers, anxiously searching for clues to avoid misfortune. It is a fearful existence, one focused solely on earthly well-being, rather than on the eternal life promised by Christ.

God offers us something infinitely greater: the promise of life with Him. He proved His love through the Cross, giving us the hope of salvation. To accept that love and still fear a black cat crossing one's path is to reveal a lack of faith—it is, quite simply, a sin. After all, the Greek word for "sin" means "to miss the mark." If the goal of a Christian is eternal life, then why be troubled by worldly fears?

I hope that Ilya’s friend will come to realize this, just as I once did. That he will learn to live with courage and freedom, fearing only one thing: sin—that is, separation from God, from His love and care.

We are precious to the Lord. He loves us beyond measure. And when we feel moments of weakness, when fear creeps into our hearts, let us remember the words of the Gospel:

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."

Faith in God frees us from meaningless fears. Let us walk forward, unafraid.

Original article: radiovera.ru/besstrashie-very-natalja-razuvakina.html