THE LAST RIVER MILE

It’s staggering to me how extensively fear is driving the human train right now. The price of a gallon of gas hit $4.29 where I live today. Many fear we are headed toward complete economic collapse. With extreme weather events and temperatures, many are afraid that, unless we find a dramatic way to work with the environment and not against it, catastrophe is on the horizon. Right wing people fear a blue wave at the midterm elections. Left wing people fear that democracy as they understand it is on the edge of defeat. Traditional church people fear the erosion of traditions and beliefs that have stood for centuries. Progressive religious people fear for the survival of faith if some doctrines and practices that serve only a privileged few don’t end. Many citizens fear immigrants. Immigrants fear ICE. And now we’re told that AI, which we thought would make life so much richer, may end us. And on and on it goes…

I notice some things about myself and all of us when fear rules us:

1. Fear paralyzes. Fear can stop us in our tracks. When we’re afraid, we don’t take chances, explore new possibilities or try new things. Extreme fear equalizes us and every other creature in the animal kingdom. The primitive survival chemistry in us tells us to to do one of two things: run or desperately fight.
2. Fear privatizes. Fear pulls the focus on to ourselves. It leaves little space or energy for giving attention to others. We become too consumed with survival – physically, relationally, vocationally, emotionally, spiritually, or whatever.
3. Fear polarizes. In extreme fear, our tendency is to look for someone or something to blame for our condition. We need a scapegoat. Fear creates an “us/them” mentality. In the middle of the twentieth century, one of the most cultured, enlightened nations in Europe subscribed to a philosophy and political system based entirely on fear of others. And millions and millions of people died because of it.

This is not to say that some fears aren’t completely legitimate. That’s not the point. I’m just observing that fear seems to be a prime motivator in this era, with predictable results in human behavior.

In some of his last words before his execution, Jesus of Nazareth said to his closest followers, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27.) Peace here is the presence of God in Christ which the world cannot give, nor can it take away. Ultimately, it is unaffected by the presence of fear. The admonition “do not be afraid” means less “don’t have fear” and more “have courage in the face of fear.” Jesus tells us to not allow fear to rule us or to be the foundation on which we operate.

The Jesus-following leader Paul said to his protege Timothy, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity…” (II Timothy 1:7.) Here and other places in the Bible we’re reminded that when fear is our primary motivator, that did not come from God.

For those of us who follow Jesus, it takes nothing to operate from a foundation of fear. Nothing. Everybody’s doing it. Individuals and groups are doing it. Nations are doing it. Political parties at any point on the spectrum are doing it. Governments are doing it. Leaders are doing it. Churches are doing it. It’s the mode of operation for our era. If the world sees us in the Body of Christ acting from a basis of fear, how does that make us different than anybody else? Why would we expect to have any impact in the world?

What would it be like for an unreached, hurting world to see us going against the flow; facing the reality of fear, but not allowing fear to rule? Even when fears are real, we are still called to seek and save the lost, to stand with those on the margins of life, to heal the hurting and lonely, and to resist evil, injustice, and oppression, in whatever forms they present themselves. Fear is real, but it can’t rule. The world is in desperate need of this.

I’ll see you around the next bend in the river.