The world we see clearly has already been distorted by our fear. –R. W. Smith
Why is fear running amok amongst us? Why does it take a disaster in order to have people look behind their fear and see ‘courage’ waiting to be called forth? What needs are being met by our being so fear-full?
I have been holding these and other ‘fear’ questions for more than 60 years. I have discerned a number of responses. Let us focus on just one this morning. I observed early on in my life that the people I feared held immense power over me. I do not think I am alone with this type of fear. Consider, gentle reader, that there is a close connection between ‘power’ and ‘fear.’
Consider that ‘fear’ is one of the most effective weapons in the hands of those who have power over us – especially if they desire to direct us, or control us. As long as we are fear-full we can be coerced to act, speak and think of ourselves as ‘slaves to their power.’ The polite word often used today is ‘leverage.’
It seems as if the agenda of the ‘world’ – of ‘our world’ – is an agenda of fear and power. We recently elected the president of our country as a response to both fear and power. Today, perhaps more than ever before, our world is cloaked in questions of fear. All of our ‘news’ outlets and much of our social media is ‘fear-focused’. We can all fill in the blanks to these questions: What will happen to me if. . .? What will happen to our group if. . .? What will I do when. . .? What will we do when. . .? The list is almost endless – which is an indicator of how fear-full we have become.
Consider that the questions we muse powerfully determine the paths we choose. Our innumerable questions rooted in fear impact, guide, and direct our responses (our thoughts and actions).
What adds to our fear-fullness is that underneath our questions is a conclusion: Our greatest fears will come true! The more we integrate the fear-full questions into our very beings the more likely our fears will become true (think: Pygmalion Effect). I find it perplexing that for People of the Book (Jews, Christians, and Muslims) we are told, over and over and over again, Be Not Afraid! Yet…
Given our fear-fullness it is not difficult for me to understand why a message of love (think: ‘Love one another as I have loved you’ for example or ‘Treat others as you want to be treated’) has slight chance of being heard, much less of being embraced.
Fear-full questions do not lead to love-filled responses. Fear-full questions not only beget fear-full responses they rest on and are nurtured by additional fear-filled questions. Fear does not give birth to love. Courage gives birth to love (again, I refer us to the love-full responses, to the courage-full acts, currently taking place in response to ‘Harvey’).
The nature of the questions we frame is the tap root that feeds and nurtures our responses. The questions the responders to ‘Harvey’ are asking are rooted in one major tap-root question: How can I be of help?
On a broader scale: Which questions guide my life? Which questions do I integrate into my very being – so they become part of my nature? Which questions actually deserve my undivided attention? Which questions help me wake up and help me remain awake? Which questions disturb me and hence signal that I am awake and aware and intentional and purpose-full?
The questions we muse WILL, and DO, determine the responses and paths we choose!
What will it take for me, for us, to trust in these words: Be Not Afraid!
Searcher-Seeker 
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