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“So all the elders of Israel gathered together and went to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not follow your example. Therefore, appoint a king to judge us the same as all the other nations have.” (1 Samuel 8:4-5 HCSB)
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| I was speaking with our pastors and staff recently about how odd it is that Christians are so full of fear. Christians know the future. We know that we win! We know God is with and for us even in difficulties. Thus, we should have no fear! Over and over, God tells us to not be afraid, not to live like those who have no hope.
And yet Christians are at least as fearful as the population at large. We see it in the way Christians overreact. We see it in what I call pansy parenting – parenting that can’t distinguish between legitimate threats and innocuous issues. We see it in the acerbic politics of many Christians and in our lifestyles that mirror the nations around us. In other words, we are just like Israel. Like us, they also had no reason to react in fear … but they were driven by it anyway. So reacting in fear, they were given Saul, whom I briefly described in a recent sermon. In response to that depiction of a fear-strangled leader overseeing a fear-straddled society, I received some remarkable letters. People described how difficult it is to move in a state of fear. They wrote depicting the “Saul” moments of their own lives, when CYA “best practices” led to a dystopia. Others shared about the pressure they receive from media, schools, family, and even government to live in a constant state of heightened concern. And one friend shared this brilliant post penned by two sisters, who write together even though they are raising their families hundreds of miles apart. [READ] here. It may be the best treatment of the current stranglehold of fear I have yet read. I look forward to your thoughts on the issue.
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