CENTURIES OF TERRORISM
ADVICE,
TODAY
.
A 15th
century Frenchman, by the name of Montaigne confessed,
"There
are many terrible things in my life, but most of them never happened."
Confronted
with today's terrors, amplified in our present political climate, we could
easily forget that our enemy is, in fact, fear.
In the words of a contemporary author, Rick Yancey,
"Fear consumes the truth and poisons all
the evidence, leading us to false assumptions and irrational conclusions."
.
Perhaps the
comedian/actor, Mark Williams, describes our natural reaction to the existing environment accurately
saying, "The brain's alarm signals start to be triggered not only by the
current scare, but by past threats and future worries." He goes on to explain that when we contemplate, "...other threats and losses, as well as the current scenario,
our bodies' flight-or fight systems do not switch off when the danger is
past. Unlike the gazelles," he points out, "we don't stop
running."
.
For Christians
to allow this instinct to rule our thoughts and actions is inexcusable. As the Psalmist of nearly three thousand years
ago said, "I will fear no evil: for thou art with me." The real danger is that we will react “naturally”
to our present situation, with fear, instead of compassion and yes, love as the
Spirit of Jesus Christ directs…even toward those who may be potential enemies.
.
Like Franklin
D. Roosevelt, over 64 years ago proclaimed in English,
what the 15th century French philosopher originally voiced,
in his language five centuries earlier, "The thing I fear most is fear." Montaigne's warning is still as applicable today. To drive home his point he insisted,
"He who fears he will suffer, already
suffers what he fears."
