Fear is an interesting human emotion. Many intentionally seek out haunted houses and scary movies for the exhilaration and intensity of this emotion.
Beyond the entertainment value, it seems we live in a culture dominated by fear. The news cycle maintains its constant appeal mostly through generating feelings of anger and angst. Our political landscape in preparation for election day is primarily about sending signals of panic. Even ongoing discussion of the current pandemic and much of the necessary preventive messaging is couched in the language of fear. Fear is a great motivator in these spheres.
In the midst of perhaps the most culturally fear saturated time of my life, I am increasingly troubled by the way in which Christians seem to be drawn into this same fear-based rhetoric and posturing. Christian dialogue should not be dominated by anxiety. If anyone on the planet ought not be fearful, it is those who claim to know the end of the story even while it is still being written. And if we don’t learn to exhibit peace while others are stoking fear we are sacrificing a key component of our witness to the world.
The Bible has much to say about fear. As we near the liturgical season of Advent I am reminded of the refrain of the angels throughout the Bible, “Do not be afraid.” In Genesis 21 an angel appears to Hagar … “Do not be afraid.” In 2 Kings 1 an angel appears to Elijah and giving him a hard assignment says, “Do not be afraid.” Angels appear to Zechariah and Joseph in Luke 1 Matthew 1… “Do not be afraid.” In Luke 2 an angel announces the birth of Jesus to the shepherds … “Do not be afraid.” In Matthew 28 to the women at the empty tomb, an angel declares, “Do not be afraid.” Over and over again, messengers from God, and even God himself give this command in the scriptures. Do not be afraid. There is no need to fear when God is near.
Perhaps one of my favorite passages in the Bible is in the opening chapters of Joshua. At this pivotal moment in Israel’s historywe get this command from the Lord to Joshua: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9 NIV) I am struck by this instruction from the Lord because of its intensity. There is no hint of suggestion here. The Lord does not encourage fearlessness. He does not ask Joshua to try and be courageous. He commands it. How can this command be so stark when Joshua and the Israelites are facing such difficult odds? God can command rather than request because of the promise in the last line, “for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
If God is love, (1 John 1:8) and perfect love casts out fear, (1 John 4:18) then, any place God is present he can rightly command that we not be afraid. And here lies the great hope for Christians. Jesus has promised to never leave us or forsake us. When living with Jesus as Lord and having been given the deposit of the Holy Spirit, there is no place you can go to flee his presence. Therefore, there is no place you can go where fear should prevail.
In the midst of a pandemic, do not be afraid. In the midst of a crucial election, do not be afraid. We cannot think and act as though citizens of earth while claiming to be citizens of heaven. And fear cannot ultimately grip those whose status in heaven is secure.
The bottom line is this: Christians cannot fundamentally be people driven by, or captive to fear because our ultimate hope is secure. No matter how bad 2020 may seem, this is not the worst time in history by any stretch of the historical imagination. And yet across the ages, in times worse than our own, the saints who have gone before us have been able to face unthinkable circumstances of plague, war, famine, persecution, and even martyrdom while displaying otherworldly peace. May the same be said about us one day. Perhaps in 2020 there is no more dramatic witness the church could offer the world than embodying a “peace that passes all understanding.”
As Jesus neared his death he prepared his disciples with these words for what he knew would be a time of temptation towards great fear… “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give 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 NIV) Maybe Jesus wants to speak the same words to us in 2020.
When we are tempted to think that all of life hinges on a single election, when we are tempted to anxiety by rising virus statistics and what that may imply for the normalcy of life, when we are faced with the uncertainty of financial markets or job security, when as the church and her leaders we are confronted with a drastically changing church landscape… We Christians can stare fear in the face and say: Fear must be gone, because our God, who is love, is near. And where perfect love exists, all fear is swallowed up by eternal hope.
This is not simply positive or wishful thinking. It is firm hope in a certain future made possible by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When you know that truth, regardless of circumstance, fear fades away into abiding peace.
Christian, do not be afraid.