Every Church A Peace Church

	Support ECAPC!
	ECAPC is a movement built upon the financial support of individuals like you. Click here to make a contribution.

	Publications
	Subscribe to Online Publications to support your journey!

	Register
	Individuals, small groups,and congregations are invited to join the National Registry of Peace Churches. More...

Following Jesus in nonviolent struggle for justice and peace, we love our neighbors and enemies as God loves us all, becoming a peace church to share in Gods work to save the world.

Once Again, Fear Not

View Archives

     On December 23 I wrote a meditation here titled "Fear Not." The recent political and media frenzy over the attempt to sabotage a plane reminds us why Jesus repeatedly warned us not to be driven by fear.

     Jesus knew that people driven by fear do not make good decisions, and it goes without saying, are not happy. The angels who announced the birth of Jesus with the words "Do not be afraid!" went on to give reason for not being afraid. It is well for us, having just come through another Advent and Christmas season, to reflect on this counsel to live above fear.

     People driven by fear are easy targets for political and military demagogues. Leaders who obtain power by means of impassioned appeals to the emotions and prejudices of the populace know how to use current events to further their agenda. We live in a nation which has accepted irrational militarism, nuclear terrorism, permanent war, and arbitrary arrest, imprisonment and torture as the "price of freedom" or "the American way of life," (a slippery thing mainly defined by greed and unwarranted claims on the resources of the earth). "Incidents" of "threat" are needed, and skillfully exploited, to sustain public support for irrational militarism, nuclear terrorism, permanent war and arbitrary arrest.

     One commentator gave us some useful reflections on fears of terrorism (oh, not ours, but theirs) this week, and I commend the article to you. Read "The Degrading Effects of Terrorism Fears" by Glenn Greenwald at
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/01/02

John Stoner jstoner@ecapc.org
1/6/10

Submit a Comment!

We appreciate your comments. Your e-mail address will not be displayed on our website.
Name
Email Address
Comments (you may use html tags)

View Print-Friendly Page Send This Page To A Friend