Monday 13 April 2009

As was noted last week, this week we would go into some ways M.L. King, Jr., encourages us to face fear - from "The Strength to Love."

First, we must unflinchingly face our fears and honestly ask ourselves why we are afraid. This confrontation will , to some measure, grant us power. We shall never be cured of fear by escapism or repression, for the more we attempt to ignore and repress our fears, the more we multiply our inner conflicts.

Over and over again we are told to "fear not" or "do not be afraid." And yet, anxiety and fear has a way of ripping into the day. The admonition to live without fear comes when our God attempts to remind us that it is in God alone that we are to trust for the fullness of life that is promised to all God's beloved. But as we all know, many thing rise up to be the power of our lives - or at least we think they are the power the will drive us and bring us new life. In such a life as this, we will quite naturally fear losing that upon which we have bet our lives. Fear and anxiety propels us into living many story lines in which we will give our all in order to sustain the story we long to have be our story...the story we have decided will save us, make us fulfilled, give us great rewards. As you might expect, any conflict with the story we are attempting to make for ourselves becomes an enemy. Enemies are often that which we fear will hurt us or rob us of the story of life we want for ourselves. So, rather than live within the peaceable Reign of God where we need not carry around the fears and anxieties of our lives, we go to war with other - we fight against them - we take the first shot in order to prevent any loss to ourselves. It is so vital to ask why we fear something. Another question would be to ask why in the world am I acting like this. We may uncover something about ourselves that is masterful at brewing fear and disguising it as something else. In the meantime, we walk right past the Reign of God.

Connection: Fear and anxiety is nothing we need to hid or ignore. Most often, they will at least alert us to the fact that something is going on around us or deep within us. The simple exercise of stepping back and looking again at what we have let rule us and direct us is a good way to stay honest with ourselves and hear God's constant affirmation.

Come, Lord of Life, come and shake us up so that we may be reminded of the life you invited us to enter - a life of peace and community and love. We so often choose to walk in other ways but when we are able to taste your gift of life we are amazed at the rest and peace that prevails even in the worst of days. For another day - we thank you, O God. Amen.