Monday 20 April 2009

Another week of Martin Luther King, Jr. on mastering fear - from "The Strength to Love."

...fear is mastered through love. The New Testament affirms, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear." The kind of love which led Christ to the cross and kept Paul unembittered amid the angry torrents of persecution is not soft, anemic, and sentimental. Such love confronts evil without flinching and shows in our popular parlance an infinite capacity "to take it." Such love overcomes the world even from the rough-hewn cross against the skyline.

This is that love "that will not let us go." This is a love that will not allow fear to be the only word that is lifted up to shape how we will go through the day. Love is the power that continues to work toward reuniting that which is separated. Often, fear is the power the separates. Fear not only separates, it makes the separation a war zone. Fear gives us a list of reasons why we not only stay away from the other...we are also given the reasons for waging war against the other. In many ways, when we are ruled by fear and operate within the dynamics that bring about war, we become a part of tools fear uses to shape the world. No longer are we merely acting against that which we fear, we become that power that creates fear in others. This is an endless cycle that finds no resolution because it does not practice the discipline of love. When pushed by the power of fear, we are invited to stand up and live contrary to the prevailing fear that is attempting to shape the day. In some way, we will have to "take" a hit for that action. Taking a hit here means that we will trust the way of reuniting that which is separated more than we will trust the power of fear to lead us and guide us. Just imagine being someone after 9/11 who was not willing to be ruled by fear but rather insisted on dialogue and conversation and forgiveness. And yet, as followers of Jesus, this is our way - the way of love.

Connection: Love is not sentimental here. It is the power to change hearts and re-establish a life where fear will not create hostility and war.

Come, Spirit of Peace, and help us past the desire to wage war when we are made a people who are blessed by the shalom of your Reign. Though fear can easily twist us away from being your beloved people, be our encouragement and hope. Amen.