Fear and Courage

September 28, 2018

“Don’t be afraid. It is I.” So said Jesus to his disciples as he came to them walking on the water in the teeth of the storm. Fear is one of the most powerful motivators in life. Fear has made many a stalwart professor of faith recant under threat of torture. Fear of isolation has caused otherwise honorable people to sheepishly follow the crowd. Those who can harness people’s fear can garner almost godlike status. 

The recent confirmation hearings offer insight into the workings of fear. One commentator warned of “an uprising” if Cavanaugh is confirmed—usually the kind of language reserved for the far right. Others have spoken of wholesale hemorrhaging of the Republican Party if he isn’t confirmed. Both Washington and the media are masters at playing on people’s fears to their advantage. 

Back in the seventies, we were warned about the threat of impending disasters in the form of global cooling that would engender worldwide famine. Today it’s global warming, or giving it wider latitude, “climate change,” which covers everything. Jimmy Carter’s newly-minted EPA told us we were running out of fossil fuels, creating in the process, long lines of vehicles waiting for gasoline that often wasn’t to be had at any price. As one century turned into another, people stocked up on foodstuffs and supplies for a Y2K that never happened. Fear is a powerful motivator, and therefore, a powerful tool.

In the Biblical record of Ezra, the rebuilding of the temple was halted when letters alleging a rebellion if it were rebuilt were sent to king Artaxerxes. When Nehemiah determined to rebuild the city walls, Tobias and Sanballat predicted disaster. They mocked, plotted to attack the workers, and when that failed, tried to blackmail and even assassinate him. Nehemiah’s response? “Should a man like me run away? I will not!” He refused to be intimidated because he was confident in God’s call even though it wasn’t a dramatic experience. He had merely heard about the conditions back home, and decided he needed to do something about it. 

Why was he so fearless? Perhaps it had something to do with his job as cupbearer to the king. That job didn’t merely involve bringing the king his wine; he was the taster, the one who made sure it hadn’t been poisoned. He faced death every day; no threat could be devised that could rattle him. The lesson is clear: it is possible to live without fear even while living with uncertainty. St. Paul said, “I die daily.” You can’t scare a dead man. He had died to this world so he could live for Christ. 

If there is one virtue in short supply in modern life, it is courage to face the scorn of society and the threats of the fearmongers. They are after power and control, but the Christian’s life is lived in the power of the Holy Spirit and under the control of Jesus Christ himself. So rejoice, and be thankful tonight that fear is not your only option. There is also faith, love, and holiness.