Fear - An Introduction

I've been thinking about fear this morning.  Actually it would be more accurate to say I've been recognising some fears I've taken on and confessing them to God in prayer.

This is me after a night fighting bush fires
(and about 12 weeks after a haircut!)
Original on flickr.

Years ago I spent some time in Mozambique, and one of the things that happened there was that I spent a night fighting forest fires with a wet sack and a shovel. That was an interesting experience in a lot of ways, and there were things to fear within it, but for the most part during and after I wasn't afraid - one of the team made a comment along those lines the next day.  She said something along the lines of, "You just kept going, no fear!"

Every time we were in a dicey situation that night, we found ourselves praising God as we (literally) ran for our lives, or beat the flames back from the houses, or set off to another flare-up someone had spotted.  There were some moments of exhaustion, when maybe we could have given up the fight, but then someone would 'encourage' us with a cheerful cry of, "Get moving you slackers! Stop standing around!" and we would push on. We beat the fire, we lived to tell the tale, and in the photo linked above you can see a girl dancing for joy in the background as she celebrates the victory.

So, I took that experience, along with my trust in God, and decided that I didn't fear anything anymore.  After all, if God is for us who can be against us?  I believe in God and I believe God, so I decided that fear wasn't part of life.

This morning I realised that I've lost that a little.  The constant pessimism and negativity which seems to be pervading the world at the moment has infected me to a degree, so I find that I fear a number of things:

• I fear there is no hope for the Middle East.  I fear that parts of the region will descend into violence and chaos, making lives miserable there and fomenting terrorism here.  I fear that my ageing Granny in Iraq will suffer in her frailty and ultimately die too soon.
• I fear that in our country and others like it morality is being suppressed by capitalism, hedonism and tolerance.  I fear that the world my children grow up will be toxic to their souls.
• I fear that our society will choose to forget God, even as a concept and guiding principle.  I fear that because of that, churches and Christian charities will face financial decline and eventual closure, meaning that many many good things are no longer done.
• I fear for the generation of young people whose lives will be blighted by unemployment and a sense of purposelessness over the next few years.  I fear no one will bring hope.
• I fear that I might become too weary for the now unavoidable and continual process of change.
• I fear that this month NYFC might run out of money.
• etc, etc.

So, what to do with all that then?  Well, the first thing I realised is I have no doubt in God himself, in his existence, his power, his purpose and desires for us.  The world around me may forget he exists, but that won't affect his existence one way or another - he is not made real because we believe in him, we believe in him because he is real.  My questions and doubts are not about God, they are about our collective response to God.  I guess they are also about how the collective response will affect me personally.

This morning I talked to God about these fears, and I read Psalm 27 as I was doing that.  It's a great psalm (aren't they all?) and it comes from a man who knew what it was like to have the fear that everything was going to hell in a handbasket.

The LORD is my light and my salvation;
    whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
   of whom shall I be afraid?

I spent a good amount of time just concentrating on these first two verses, repeating them to myself and remembering the truth contained within them.  Do these verses mean that will always be easy?  Of course not!  That night with the fire wasn't easy, but I realised that night, and remembered again this morning, that ultimately 'safety' is not about what happens here and now, it's about whether we walk with God or not.  We Christians should have an eternal perspective, and from that eternal perspective our safety is assured.  Anything that happens to us now is a passing phenomenon, not a permanent condition.

One thing I have asked of the LORD, that I will seek after;
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. 

This was the second bit of the Psalm to catch my attention.  What do I want ultimately?  Is it to be well-regarded, to be comfortable, to be financially secure, to be proud of my children?  Those are all fine things, but actually, when it comes down to it I want to be one who first and foremost dwells with God forever.

This morning I have remembered the truth that God is my light, my salvation and my stronghold.  I have remembered that my security is defined not by comfort now, but by dwelling with him forever.  Fear?  Not here.

I've called this an introduction post, because I intend to blog a little more about fear, maybe in these headings:

• Fear of knowledge - can our faith be rendered obsolete?
• Fear for others - how do we reconcile the suffering of others?
• Fear of failure - can we cope with not making the grade?
• Fear of speaking out - can we articulate a counter-cultural viewpoint with confidence and compassion?

I'd love to know what you all think, and whether there are other fears you'd like me to ponder.  Leave a comment and let me know.