Tragically, many of my fellow evangelical Christians seem to have forgotten the Biblical teaching that perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18). The concept is simple enough. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. There is no fear in love. In the early church, followers of Jesus were the only ones whose faith overcame natural fears to such an extent that they were able to minister face to face to people with highly contagious diseases, and to face intense persecution and death itself without the paralysis that fear can produce.
Fear (and its cousin, ignorance) lies at the root of so much that is wrong with a vast multitude who identify as evangelical Christians. We have very good news to share, but as living witnesses we can be the very antithesis of good news. Public health officials have nailed it. The key to overcoming popular resistance to COVID 19 vaccinations and compliance with mask wearing and social distancing guidelines lies in the American evangelical church. The church is the sanctuary for many fearful men and women who refuse to be vaccinated, even when there is clear evidence that this can help our country defeat the pandemic. Many choose not to wear masks or otherwise cooperate with public health authorities as a form of identification with a failed former President and everything he stands for. Our new President has cast this in terms of patriotic duty. Jesus would cast it in terms of sacrificial love, faith that overcomes and casts out fear, and loving our neighbors as much as we love ourselves. When, you may ask, will church leaders preach this from their pulpits? I am growing very tired of waiting.
What other un-Christian attitudes stem from fear? Let’s make a short list of those that are in the news and which continue to exacerbate fissures long a part of our country’s history:
— Hatred of those who are different from us, whether by race, religion, economic status, ethnicity, nationality, or sexual identity and preference. Fear lies at the root of such unloving and un-Christian attitudes and behaviors;
— Distrust and disobedience of governmental authorities, especially when official actions and laws are perceived as intrusions upon sacred personal freedoms. The Bible does not teach this kind of attitude or action. Jesus taught that we are to render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s. The Bible makes it clear we are to obey government officials except when what they command is clearly contrary to Scripture’s dictates. We are to pray for government officials, and recognize that God has placed them in positions of authority for our greater good. Implicit in these teachings is that followers of Jesus are to live in harmony with those in authority over them, and refrain from conduct or words that make their jobs more of a burden than a joy. This does not mean that we remain silent in the face of evil and injustice, but we speak the truth in love, not with righteous indignation. Finally, we are to exercise our freedoms for the greater good, and for God’s glory, plan and purposes;
— Insistence upon maintaining personal firearms, including weapons of war, in order to better ensure our safety against all who might cause us harm, and ultimately, to protect against government overreach. Where did this come from? Certainly not from Jesus. This is fear casting out love, the polar opposite of how Christians are to live. Are we really willing to use deadly force to protect our property, and to use weapons that are so lethal that no degree of medical intervention can save the life of those we shoot? How many young children need to die, how many people in houses of worship, how many of God’s precious children, what might be the tipping point where America’s Christians might see the greater good? Christians need to choose: either John Wayne or Jesus;
— Hostile and unwelcoming attitudes towards refugees and aliens in our midst or on our national doorstep. Of course, we cannot accommodate all to wish to live here, but why can’t our elected representatives agree upon common sense, economically sound and humanitarian immigration policies and procedures? The answer is fear. This is not a new problem for America, as we are a beach that has seen many waves of immigration: prior waves tend to demonize and take advantage of those coming after them; and
— Wholesale abandonment of public education for our children. Here we see fear of secular teachers undercutting family faith and values, of children from lower social and economic strata dragging down educational standards for children from healthy Christian homes, and a degree of racial discrimination. When the Supreme Court ended lawful racial segregation of public schools, Christians led the way to increase funding of public schools, right? And they increased their involvement in PTAs and volunteering in classrooms, right? No, just the opposite. Most pulled the plug on public education, started or expanded “Christian“ schools and won the right to keep their children at home for “home schooling.” Back when our country was young, and Christian values and teachings were part of the core curriculum of public education, everything was fine. Many experts recognized that a common curriculum of public education for children up to age sixteen was a vital part of the glue that would provide an informed public and a vibrant democracy. But then came fear. We must protect our children from worldly influences. Never mind the fact that inadequate funding of public schools has produced many adults ill equipped for making a positive contribution to our country. What ever happened to the idea that Christians are to be salt and light? Light does not shine from cultural or religious foxholes. And when did we forget that it is our responsibility as parents to instill our faith and values in our own children—and not the responsibility of the public schools?
It is not too late for the evangelical church in America. But absent bold preaching and more consistent displays of God’s perfect love, the organized church in this country will become irrelevant, and something new and vibrant must emerge from its ashes. And unity, that all too often cited reason for leaders not confronting sinful and un-Biblical attitudes in their flocks, will be part of the epitaph: “At least we stayed together, to the end.” Fear of losing significant numbers of the flock is not love, nor does it reflect ultimate trust in God.
Jesus told us that we shall know the truth and the truth will make us free. It all comes down to this: Trust in God. Live out Biblical truth and God’s amazing love. Fear will be cast out. Amen.
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