I John 4
When we are living in Agape Love, we leave fear behind. Self-sacrificing committed action on the behalf of the other pushes through fear. It is courageous love. It is self-giving and not self-preserving.
It is, by definition and nature, LIBERAL and not CONSERVATIVE.
We are very fearful people. It causes us to do all manner of defensive things because of the hint or rumor of threat to our selves. We stay away from "certain" people. We do not engage with others. We build bigger fences and move further away from others. We isolate our selves. We buy weapons with which to protect our selves and "our own" against those perceived, rumored threats "out there". Eventually that becomes our ultimate concern, over what it does "in here" - our our hearts and souls.
We are duped into our fear. It sells. It sells wars and the invasion of other nations that would not have to be engaged in, which creates REAL threats to others in our path and to our selves. It sells security systems, weapons and ammunition, bomb shelters, insurance, secret bank accounts, larger and heavier vehicles, antiseptic wipes and anti-bacterial washes and other personal hygiene products. Some of those things have reasonable application. Some add to society's level of fear and therefore our collective level of threat.
We are creating the fearful world and the reasons for fear to which we are reacting. People are buying weapons of mass destruction, fearful that others MIGHT have them and attack them. They are buying extended clips to hold more bullets JUST IN CASE someone else might have them. They are buying armor piercing bullets because you JUST NEVER KNOW. They are going to gun ranges and practicing their aim, just so they can be VIGILANT. With every gun, every bullet and every person who is practicing for a lethal encounter, we are creating the fearful world to which we are, our selves, reacting. We are anticipating the worst. It damages our hearts and souls. It affects our living now.
We are creating the tension in encounters because we are evermore certain that one of those encounters will necessitate our defensiveness. Because of it, we are seeing those situations at every turn, even when they are not truly there. Our perceptions are formed out of the fear that we have been sold as a people, and we react with the defensiveness and weapons we have been sold as a people. We are BECOMING the REASON for others to do the same, and thus begins the individual arms race that leaves us suspicious of others, fearful of others and defensive with others as we encounter them, and therefore less safe and secure as a people.
I refuse to live my everyday in fear and defensiveness. It prevents me from perfecting the Agape Love which I have been COMMANDED to live by my Lord. It leads to isolation, disengagement with others and suspicion at every turn, which prevent my living Agape Love in the world around me. Yes, it is possible that I could be victimized someday, but I will not VICTIMIZE myself and those around me by living in fear until that MIGHT happen, someday. I will not ruin my life and the lives of those around me NOW, because of what MIGHT happen someday.
Fear leads to defensiveness, intolerance and hatred as pre-emptive measures toward self-preservation. I will not live those things in the world around me, because I cannot embrace those things and live Agape Love. I refuse to be duped into fear and pro-active defensiveness because someone wants to make money off my fear. I will not let my spirit be mangled or my soul damaged by fear that causes me to abandon Agape Love for self-preservation. Agape Love does not allow it. My Lord forbids it.
Pastor Jamie
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