A Short Ramble About Fear

In the book Dune there is an often repeated meditation called The Litany against Fear, and it goes like this:

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”

Fear is one of the greatest enemies we have in our Christian faith and practice. It is what keeps us from reaching out towards God in faith. As Jedi Master Yoda once said, “fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.” (Phantom Menace, 1999) When we fear to lose something, or when we fear to not have something that we think we need, this clouds the Path in front of us and makes us go astray.

The enemy provokes fear in us through the smallest of doubts that can grow ever larger and larger until they consume us and we begin down the spiral that Yoda spoke of. “But what if He doesn't provide?” “But what if....?” “You can't possibly believe something's going to materialize out of thin air?” That's really all it takes. These little whispers in our minds.

Fear is the opposite of faith. Where faith is fear cannot be, and vice-versa. Fear says “I don't trust,” or “I don't feel like I can trust.” Fear is the natural reaction of the mind and body to an external threat because the natural mind and body instinctively trusts only itself. But when we become members of Christ, fear conflicts with the new instinct of faith and trust in God. It doesn't understand it and tries to shout it down.

St. John says “perfect love casts out all fear.” God is perfect love. The closer we draw to Him, the less fear can get a grip on us. The closer we draw to Him, the more everything seems to be alright and makes sense. The world could be crashing down around our ears and we would not be afraid wrapped in His perfect love, if only we would move towards Him and not away from Him.

As followers of Jesus Christ, fear is truly a killing force. It can bring total obliteration to our walk with Christ and leave us helpless and paralyzed. We must turn and face it through faith, reminding ourselves of everything He's already done for us. Everything we've already experienced with Him. We must allow the fear to pass over us and through us until it is gone. And when it is gone, we will see that fear itself was the transitory shadow, and all that truly remains is Him.