FEAR versus Fear in a Pandemic

And now for something completely different (in the words of legendary Monty Python):

Fear.

Or, I should say, FEAR.

Not only has COVID been shutting down the world, but the media are using it to launch a campaign of FEAR (all caps).

And FEAR (all caps) is what is different.

In my grandma’s day, fear (all lower caps) was the norm.  

Lower cap fear responds (as opposed to reacts) accordingly:

"Yes, we acknowledge there is a problem, crisis, tribulation."

"No we will not drop everything because of it. We will adapt without much ado."

And finally, 

"The Lord will take us to a better place if and when we don’t make it in this one" (and we all know it ends with when).

Sure, there were folks who succumbed to FEAR (all caps) back in grand-dad’s day. But it wasn’t the norm; the accepted and the expected, as it is, I believe, today.

FEAR is hyper, dramatic and worst case-focused. 

Fear, lower caps, is strength and integrity in spite of rational doubts and uneasiness. It is cautious, but not hysterical; considerate, not paranoid. 

FEAR is the becoming undone. 

Fear is holding it together through steady perseverance and non-theatrical adjusting.

And one of the most logical ways to keep it together and not be sucked in by the hype, is to post a “No Trespassing” sign for the media to cease their traipsing across the lawns of our lives with their Chicken Little reporting.

At my alma mater, the University of Wisconsin Madison, where I obtained a Journalism degree, we were taught to report the news objectively (all editorials were limited to one place in the newspaper, the Op-Ed page, and readers clearly knew that what appeared there was someone’s opinion). Objective reporting was the mandate, be it written or broadcast.

Dictionary.com defines objective as:

“not influenced by personal feelings, interpretations, or prejudice; based on facts; unbiased”

“belonging to the object of thought rather than to the thinking subject.”

The media has gradually jettisoned its credo of objectivity and we are seeing the dire consequences of that in the sheer panic it is injecting into society and people’s homes today.

I know that people are dying from COVID. They join all the other people who have died tragically in the past and who will continue to pass away in the future. Plagues, wars, disasters, cancer, and suicides by the hundreds and thousands and hundreds of thousands.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 1.35 million people are killed annually on roadways globally, which amounts to 3,700 traffic deaths each day.

Have we seen outrage and obsessive reporting from the Press in regard to people not wearing seatbelts? Have television commentators spit nails nightly over drunk drivers who kill--a public disaster that can be much more easily eradicated than this virus?

And would the viewers fall in right behind, up-in-arms over drunk drivers' lack of "concern for others"? 

The Centers for Disease Control also reports:

"While the impact of flu varies, it places a substantial burden on the health of people in the United States each year. CDC estimates that influenza has resulted in between 9 million – 45 million illnesses, between 140,000 – 810,000 hospitalizations and between 12,000 – 61,000 deaths annually since 2010.

During the 2017-2018 season, the percentage of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza (P&I) was at or above the epidemic threshold for 16 consecutive weeks. During the past five seasons, the average number of weeks this indicator was above threshold was 11 (range of 7 to 15 weeks). Nationally, mortality attributed to P&I exceeded 10.0% for four consecutive weeks, peaking at 10.8% during the week ending January 20, 2018."

Note that 16 weeks at or above the epidemic threshold is about 4 months.


The World Health Organization states that:

“Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, and is responsible for an estimated 9.6 million deaths in 2018. Globally, about 1 in 6 deaths is due to cancer.

Around one third of deaths from cancer are due to the 5 leading behavioral and dietary risks: high body mass index, low fruit and vegetable intake, lack of physical activity, tobacco use, and alcohol use."

According to Our World in Data, as of today, there have been 19 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, 11.5 million recoveries and 712,000 deaths.

Again, I clearly do not want to minimize or belittle this pandemic, just as I would never diminish the shattered lives from cancer, alcohol abuse, or car accidents.

It’s about putting this pandemic, which could blaze on or smolder for many more months, into perspective so that we don’t succumb to FEAR.

“For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.” Hebrews 2:1

The Bible frequently acknowledges the temptation to be cajoled away from our unwavering view of life in Christ to despair and finger-pointing. But Christ experienced suffering and death, overcoming it, so that he “might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives” (Hebrews 2:15).

Are we more afraid of dying from COVID, or even just experiencing it first-hand, than we are of cancer, dying in a car accident, or crossing the street? If the answer is yes, we need to ask ourselves why.

Could the answer be our feeding constantly on social and news media which has become the brew master of this virus, distilling it in our hearts and minds until we are drunk with delirium, in spite of the fact that there are many “worse things” still out there that could do us in but which we don’t allow to terrify us?

If we imbibe FEAR, there’s a good chance we will become FEARFUL (again, all caps).

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21.

Many hearts are allowing social and mass media to beguile with the jewels of catastrophe, causing them to take their mind off of all that Christ has taught and carried us through.

To get, at minimum, back down to a healthy fear:

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).

We can still harbor a bit of fear, but it is de-stabilized and put into its proper place along with all of the qualities mentioned above.

The perfect love and guidance of God does not cast out death, or sickness, broken-heartedness, frustration, doubt, boredom or various grades of depression. It casts out all fear because there is no fear in His love (1 John 4:18).

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Jesus has overcome all the bad stuff in the world, so that we may have His peace while we are yet in the bad stuff. 

Pandemics aren’t fun.

But under the shepherding of Him who has already overcome it, the pandemic is overcome in us, too.


Copyright Barb Harwood

What Is the Narrow Path?

Twenty years into having opened and entered through the gate offered by the Messiah, I sit back quietly, in the midst of a stilled world, and ponder this “narrow path” I’ve been on. 

At times I was humanly sure of my faith trajectory; at other times, not so much. At times God assured me of direction; other times, not.

If I had had a spiritual GPS the last twenty years, I believe it would have imploded. 

And now? Where have I landed?

If I had to put into words the answer—something nebulous yet clear; cloudy yet transparent; a bit of a conundrum but a puzzle that makes complete sense—I would quote the following words of Christ to define what I now understand to be the narrow path:

“For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:2-5

Now, the crux of this entire verse is to not forgo verses 2-5a and jump to the end: “and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”

Many take liberties with Scripture due to lack of God’s conviction, myself included. In addition, I often disregard God’s clear conviction in favor of going where my heated, mischievous heart so enjoys to take me. 

In a nutshell, this is obedience: disregarding the tricks of our heart for the clear conscience of God upon us, and it is upon us via His Spirit at all times. But we would rather be over here, clunking other people on the head for their faults in spite of us having just as many, if not more, and often the very same faults we condemn in others.

Does this verse about being careful how we judge preclude any judgement at all? No, even Jesus says, 

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16 (think Martin Luther King Jr., William Wilberforce, Deborah Sampson and Rosa Parks as examples of those of integrity who were "shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves").

The key is not to be a wolf, especially one in sheep’s clothing, nor to be hoodwinked or drawn by wolves into their narcissistic negativism (fault-finding, complaining, and thinking the worst first, thus automatically writing people and “culture” off). 

We are to judge ourselves in God’s discernment as well as the people and world around us. But it only works when we judge all, including ourselves, in this way.

Just as we are to love others as ourself, we are to judge others as ourself. We love and judge all-in-one, under God and in His Way, because that’s the only way our hearts will not deceive (and let’s be honest: we are often quite aware of the heart’s deceit. We just choose to rely on cheap grace to ignore it).

The narrow path, then, is this: subject ourselves to God for His love and affirmation, removing that duty from the people and world around us, thus freeing us from so much narcissism. 

In that way we, as newborn babes, enter through the gate of God and join His impartial grace for everyone equally. 

Father, Son and Holy Spirit: the only hands of which to grasp as the gate closes securely behind us and we go forth with only them down the narrow path, all the way, to its end. 

Copyright Barb Harwood

On the Leadership of Self

The following quote is taken from the book, Conscious Capitalism, written by John Mackey (CEO and cofounder of Whole Foods Market) and Dr. Rajendra Sisodia, professor of Global Business at Babson College. Both are cofounders of the nonprofit Conscious Capitalism, Inc.

"Ultimately, our greatest challenge as leaders is to manage and lead ourselves: to make wise choices, to learn and grow and evolve as human beings. Today's world offers us nearly limitless choices, says Peter Koestenbaum: 'We've reached such explosive levels of freedom that, for the first time in history, we have to manage our own mutation. It's up to us to decide what it means to be a successful human being. That's the philosophical task of the age.'
It is also our greatest opportunity for service, and the rewards to our organizations, our families, and ourselves personally are virtually limitless. First we must become more conscious, act in ways that help make the world a better place, and then share our wisdom with the world. That is the hero's journey."
John Mackey and Raj Sisodia

Redemption of the Times is Yet by Christ

The following timely quote is by Richard Caldwell, Jr.
     
     "There is no political fix for what ails this world. There is no human solution to the problem. There is no cultural analysis or commentary or social program that can fix what's wrong. 
     There's only one answer for such a world, there's only one hope in the midst of the chaos, and his name is Jesus. 
     When the light of the gospel confronts the darkness, when the clarity of the gospel cuts through all the confusing voices that we hear in this world, then the sovereign Spirit of God unshackles our souls. When God says, 'Let there be light,' and the light of God shines into the darkened soul of man so that Christ is seen on the pages of Scripture in all of his beauty--and he is loved and he is believed in and embraced for life--there's a new order, a new creation. Old things pass away, all things become new.
     Through that saving work, peace replaces chaos, love replaces warring, compassion replaces pride, God brings order out of disorder. All these new creations, one soul at a time, form one new man in Jesus Christ. Christ is at the head of a new humanity, a redeemed human race."
Richard Caldwell, Jr. 


As I read the above words, and believe them to be true, I know them to be exceedingly difficult, in the every-day, to realize.

As a Christian for 19 years, I read the above words and consider my own failures that took place, and continue to take place, all the while Christ was and is, in theory, guiding me; the mental and emotional stumbling blocks that precluded, and preclude still, Christ's new humanity from being lived out in my own life. 

But at the same time, He has overcome: through the overcoming, as Caldwell states in the quote above, of each soul, albeit gradually and perhaps much too slowly for our patience. 

I look back upon the last nineteen years and thankfully no longer recognize the young woman I was before Christ began His work in me, and I cringe in remembrance of certain actions and attitudes held when I was just beginning to shed the skin of death for Christ's clothing of life.

Christ does overcome. But it is in part and not all at once in each soul. So Christians, though transformed, are yet transforming. Redemption is here, fulfilled in Christ's death, but also not entirely yet in an evidenced perfect kingdom on earth.

Again, I know the quoted Caldwell words to be true, in spite of Christians' inability to always grasp the Messiah's Hand in cooperation, missing the Spirit's whispers of attainable peace and harmony. 

But as a seminary professor once stated, 

"Just imagine the world without the constraint of the Holy Spirit, which holds so much evil and tribulation back." 

Without that constraint, all hell, literally, would break loose. 

And so it is. We as Christians persevere in the goal, like Paul, and continue to run the race, sometimes at a snail's pace, in the confidence and vision of internalizing and imparting as much of Christ as we understand of Him at the time. In as much grace as we allow Him to nurture within us, humanity's redemption, little by little or in leaps and bounds, is on-goingly forged by Christ. 

copyright Barb Harwood

Evil is Not a Thing

I came across this definition of evil that has given me something to think about:

"Evil is not a 'thing'; it is the absence of a thing--the absence of purity and holiness." Ralph O. Muncaster

Gaining Humility in the Confidence that is Christ

In the course of Christian maturity, I have come to understand that those who transform into sincere, accepting, joy-nuanced and calm humility—

humility not threatened by or jealous of how others live; 

that doesn’t attempt to cover up feelings of weakness with bravado or intelligence; 

humility that actually prefers to mind its own business and not meddle (whether that meddling be through overt unsolicited advice, internal irritation or passive, critical gossip)

—that those who become this are true, gentle and beautiful.

These then spread truth, gentleness and beauty wherever they happen to be at any given moment. 

Oodles of books have been written about how to live the Christian life, along with the steps to becoming humble. 

In reality, the answer is in the live-streaming, if you will, of Christ the Person: embarking upon the journey of Him, relaxing into His Spirit, taking in His nourishment to wholeness in His Person. 

Thinking upon Him always, contemplating His Words, our heart-mind strengthens as His confidence proceeds while our own recedes and eventually peters out. 

Then it is that the humble surety of Christ reveals: His constant presence, His love not just for us but for all—nothing marred by the grandstanding, interfering self. 

Copyright Barb Harwood

The Approach

A poem, by Carl Sandburg:



                                CHOOSE

     The single clenched fist lifted and ready,
Or the open asking hand held out and waiting.
                                Choose:
For we meet by one or the other.


Carl Sandburg