Fear is a normal response when something terrible happens. Fear and our flight or fight instincts kept us alive for thousands of years. Fear is not an unhealthy feeling. But, fear becomes unhealthy when we are defined by it.
It does not escape me that this latest terrorist attack has occurred during Holy Week. The most sacred and celebrated week of the Christian calendar. And as I sit with these feelings and think about fear and anger and the climate of our culture I am reminded that there was a lot of fear in Holy Week for Jesus. Fear of dying a terrible death, anger at the money changers in the temple, a plea for there to be another way, frustration with his friends, betrayal by those closest to him, murder and madness all around him ...
However, what Jesus models for us as he lives through this very dark time in his life is a contemplative process that we should very much pay attention to in these uncertain times.
Yes, he is afraid. Yes, he gets angry. Yes, he pleas for a different end than crucifixion. And yet, he is still crucified. And yet, throughout the week he prays, and lives in community with his friends, and cries out to God, and suffers and spends time alone and breaks bread at the table, and is betrayed, and yet, he chooses to love.
His response, during the hardest, scariest time of his life is to love. He goes through the process of fear and anger and frustration but, he keeps his heart on God and his response is love.
Jesus does not let fear define him. Jesus is not motivated by revenge. Jesus' final act as a human being is sacrificial and it is beautiful and it is an act of pure unadulterated love.
And it strikes me that during this week, this holiest of weeks, that my response to terror also needs to be love. That while I am afraid, letting fear define me and motivate me just creates more anger and terror in this world. If I lose sight of humanity and grace and kindness, and all the good and beautiful things of this world, then the terrorists have won and love has lost.
I am disturbed by terrorism, yes. But, what disturbs me more is us as a country and as a society responding out of fear.
What disturbs me more is a man running for the highest office in this country playing off of our fears. A man that suggests that committing war crimes and building a wall are the right course of action because we are afraid.
Friends, will we let fear define us? Will we become a people who hates the other, who in our response to great tragedy wind up creating more tragedy by letting fear motivate us? Will we become a country who allows anger to be our default setting?
Are we ok with disavowing a whole religion because of the actions of a very few fringe members?
I am disturbed by people who claim Jesus and who are frothing at the mouth to eradicate thousands of people, who cheer when it is suggested that we murder terrorist's families, who are walking through this Holy Week with nothing but rage and revenge guiding them.
If we become a country of people who are motivated by fear, if we surrender reason and goodness to madness and let ourselves become a people who are governed by vengeance, if we ignore the problems in our own society and culture and solely blame others for our issues, if we advocate violence against the innocent then are we really any better than those who commit terrorist acts?
Let this week, this sacred, sacrificial, community and grace and hope in the face of great darkness, week be your guide as we walk through these troubling times.
Hold on to love in the face of fear. Let's love our neighbors, and our families, and our co-workers and everyone we come across a little bit better in spite of the fear.
Only love can cast out hate. Only grace and kindness can heal our hardened hearts.
May we be a people that live our lives as if every week were Holy Week. May we love strongly and more fully in the face of pain and tragedy. May we not give in to anger. May we seek to better understand those who are different. May we be a people that stand for love.
Blessings on your Holy Week.
Let your heart find courage in the good news:
Love Wins. Love Always Wins.
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