Praise Jesus it’s over. The horrible nightmarish television commercials have gone away. Oh no, I wasn’t talking about the male enhancement commercials. I’m referring to the Presidential “Campaign of Fear” – a title used by both campaigns to describe each other. It was one of the few valid accusations of the 2004 Presidential campaign. If we take both Republican and Democratic campaigns at their word we should be hiding in the cellar, a weapon of some kind tightly gripped in our hands, shaking in fear. We should be afraid of; terrorists, insurgents, insurgent-terrorists, weak leadership, jobs shipped overseas, environmental disaster, rich getting richer, poor getting poorer, no flu shots, indecisiveness and valueless antifamily gays hiding Osama Bin Laden in the Texas Air National Guard’s Officers lounge. Now that’s pretty scary.
And now that I think of it, this list is far too short. There is plenty more for me to be afraid of. I figure an asteroid is about ready to hit me, seeing that it hasn’t happened since I was born, I’m about due. The polar ice is melting and I live near the ocean – so I’d better put my swim fins on. My nephew is a college swimmer; maybe he can give me a few pointers on the backstroke. And dare I talk about Franken food? How dangerous is that fajita anyway? Maybe eating my own naturally grown nuts and berries in the backyard isn’t such a crazy idea after all. At least is would lower my cholesterol.
All any of us have to do is open a newspaper or turn on a news program and Bam! – fear will be dished out in overflowing helpings. And once we get a grip on number one on the list of ‘what to be afraid of’ there is always numbers two through 102 to deal with. Well, I’ve grown tired of it all – tired of people telling me that disaster is just around the corner. Tired of fear mongering. Tired of people trying to find the one fear that will manipulate me into doing what they want me to do.
But, do you know what the sad thing is? I am afraid. I’m afraid of a lot of things. I’m afraid of not having enough money, of losing my job, of getting sick. The thought that my wife or one of my children getting hurt – or worse – terrifies me. There are times when fears real and imagined keep me up at night. I’m sick of being told to be afraid – and I am sick of actually being afraid.
Take a look at the opening of Paper 196. What a magnificent couple of pages. It talks about Jesus’ absolute trust in his heavenly father and his unswerving faith. It talks about his complete lack of fear. He had absolute certainty in his future with God. He was unquestioningly loyal to the Father’s will. And he had a living faith that chased away fear and left him willing to face all manner of difficulties knowing that things would always work out in accord with the Father’s will. A wonderful description of what we all strive for. We strive and yet we fall short.
Jesus had enough faith and trust in the Father to chase away fear. It sounds so easy doesn’t it? Where do I go to buy this? From what I have seen in my life and the lives of the people I have encountered the faith and trust that Jesus had comes through slow painful growth. The bravest minister I have ever seen was a woman who marched into the county prison to proclaim that God told her to minister to the incarcerated women. She was thrown out. But she went back again and again and developed a wonderful prison ministry. She was persistent, passionate, spirit filled and courageous. She was also wracked with fear and doubt. Her fears would drive people away from her who tried to help her – including me. I can picture her as a mighty and fearless minister in some future life. But I believe it will take a long time for that to happen. Alas, it is the same with me. It will take a long time to attain a level of faith that approaches Jesus’. I can strive for the description of the faith of Jesus in Paper 196 – but I have yet to find a fast and easy way to attain it.
Ok, what’s on my list to be afraid of next? Oh yes, Reality Shows. I live in constant fear that my wife will secretly sign me up for a show that makes me eat cockroaches. Or worse, put a camera in my bathroom. Well another day has dawned and bravely we soldier forth knowing that God is with us. Hopefully that knowledge will strengthen us to the point where eventually it will drive all fear and doubt away.
God Bless You,
William Whitehead
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