Something that has been on my mind lately is the trouble we cause when we are afraid. Now many folks will say, I’m not afraid, you got it wrong. But let’s back up and look at that. Is it really true?
We all have something we’re afraid of, losing someone we love, getting injured, missing something important are at least low-level concerns for many of us. Hopefully we realize that there is only so much we can do about some of these
I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
― Nelson Mandela
One of the reasons fear is on my mind is because I attempt to pay at least partial attention to what’s going on in our world. Many learned and not so learned folks have a lot of theories about why we are where we are on any topic, but I say that the root of many of these problems is fear.
Sure, a natural disaster is not caused by fear, however the generous response needed to support those recovering from the disaster can be slowed down or stopped by fear. Fear that if I share I won’t have enough, fear that people will not behave how we think they should, etc.
There are many angles that can be taken, and I’m not aiming for a long blog today, more to spark your further or discussion on the matter.
Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.”
― Marie Curie
This quote really sums it up for me, something in our nature wants to diminish, discount, suppress those things and people we don’t understand. It is much easier to say ‘they’ are different and therefore to be disdained, it is much harder to stand and say, I don’t understand but I am willing to understand. I, having the benefit of a seminary education, have briefly studied most of the mainstream world religions. I know that they are nothing to fear, and that the folks who are part of that faith tradition have more in common with you and I than we have different.
I know that there is plenty of rhetoric being spun that wants to keep us on edge and afraid, but we don’t have to believe it.
This is my invitation, if you notice you are thinking that so and so is outside the ‘acceptable’ box ask why. Is there something to understand about them? Have you made assumptions about who they are or what they believe or value? And then he doozy, does it matter? If someone is doing their life, unless they are causing harm to someone else, what does it matter?
Fear gets in the way of connection. Fear gets in the way of our own best expression. Fear gets in the way of our joy.
Let’s transform fear into freedom.
