EXPRESSIONS OF FAITH
Learn how to address your fears
By Rev. Dan Hatch
Ever since 9/11, it seems as if we have been increasingly living in fearful times here in the United States.
It doesn't matter what the source of our fear is: Whether it be the fear of terrorism, the fear of space exploration and flying after the Challenger disaster, the fear of SARS, or the fear of unbridled economic imperialism, fear has the same effect on us.
It imprisons us.
It is incredibly important that we as a nation not be agents of fear, nor give in to fear, especially the fear of terrorism, as fear is the biggest weapon the terrorist has.
In 1986 in Monterey, Calif., I heard a lecture by Henri Nouen, the Catholic theologian from Holland who died recently.
He said that when we are born, and laid at our mother's breast, we immediately feel all the warmth, security and love of that relationship. But also, almost simultaneously, we fear losing that relationship. Thus begins for each of us, according to Nouen, our dance between love and fear.
Life's challenge, according to Nouen, is to move out of our "house of fear" and into our "house of love," so that we can address our fears from our place of love, rather than our love from our place of fear.
Sounds simple, but it requires unrelenting discipline and courage.
Love and fear cannot operate in the same space. In 1 John 4:18, in the New Testament of the Bible (New Revised Standard Version), we find these words: "There is no fear in love, but perfect love cast out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love."
If we give in to fear, we punish ourselves. We become prisoners of our own fear and cannot find inner peace.
In the Gospel of John, when Jesus, after his resurrection, appears to his disciples who are living in fear behind locked doors, his greeting to them is "Peace be with you!"
Jesus desires us to have peace in our hearts. The only way to find that peace is to confront our fears — "And let peace rule in our heart." (Colossians 3:15)
You cannot get around fear. Rather, when we find ourselves living in our house of fear, we have to directly confront our fear in order to find the love that our fear is masking. We have to move through fear to find love.
Recent popular books and movies — "Star Wars," "The Lord of the Rings," and "Harry Potter" — are all about confronting fears and the power of the Dark Side, to use the Star Wars terminology.
For Christians, Jesus, the prince of peace, is the power enabling us to confront our fears, even fear of death. That is what makes us an Easter people.
Peace be with you!
The Rev. Dan Hatch recently celebrated his first anniversary as senior minister of the Manoa Valley Church, United Church of Christ. Expressions of Faith is a column that welcomes submissions from pastors, priests, lay workers and other leaders in faith and spirituality. E-mail faith@honoluluadvertiser.com or call 525-8035. Articles submitted to The Advertiser may be published or distributed in print, electronic or other forms.
