I hope that everyone reading this knows who spoke the famous words, “The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself….”. They were part of his 1933 Inaugural Address after being sworn in as our President for the first of four terms. He was speaking, of course, about the despair and gloom blanketing our nation thanks to The Great Depression.
President Roosevelt’s message was meant to instill hope and fortify the resolve and grit of the men and women of America—resolve and grit to persevere, to believe in themselves, and to not allow fear and want to make them less than who they were.
Those were powerful words because they were spoken with conviction. They were also meant to be a call, i.e. an appeal…enticement to rise above the constant temptation to become despondent and give up. His words were meant to rally the people to NOT GIVE UP!
Both before and after FDR’s famous words, the words, “Do not be afraid” have been said countless times. Parents say them to their children. Children say them to a puppy or kitten too shy to be petted. The swim coach…the zipline instructor…they all say these words on a regular basis. But it’s not just people. The angel, Gabriel, said these words to Mary. An unnamed angel gave Joseph the same message, as did a host (a big group) of angels when they told the shepherds that Jesus had been born.
When you look at these instances, it would lead you to believe that fear really shouldn’t play a big role in our lives. But the other night I heard something on television in reference to fear that shook me to the core. It made me sad. No, it was more than just sad. I was sorrowful and afraid.
What did I hear? I heard Ron Regan, son of the former President, talking about being a proud atheist. He purpose was to promote the Freedom From Religion organization. He closes the ad by saying, “…and I’m not afraid to burn in hell.”.
The nonchalance and dismissiveness in his voice are tragic. It is obvious he doesn’t care, and he doesn’t care because he doesn’t believe. In other words, he isn’t unafraid of hell because he doesn’t think it will be all that bad. He’s unafraid because he doesn’t believe hell exists.
To not believe hell exists—that’s something to be afraid of. To believe hell exists, but not live a life of loving, grateful obedience to God, and with fearful respect for not wanting to spend eternity there—that’s something to be afraid of. To claim to be a believer and lover of God but reduce him to a genie-like being whose message is I’m-okay-you’re-okay, or to refuse to believe in both his justice and his love, and that his commands are empty, meaning he wouldn’t possibly be so ‘mean’ as to send anyone to hell—that’s something to be afraid of.
President Roosevelt rallied Americans to use fearful respect or oneself and mankind in general, as a weapon against the fear of intimidation and destruction. The Bible…the Word of God call us to make fear, i.e. respect, reverence, and awe, part of our worship and veneration to God. Not the dreadful, intimidating kind of fear, but the fear that cannot bear the thought of disappointing God. Of living ungratefully.
The absence of this kind of fear…of God’s ‘brand’ of fear…now that’s something to be afraid of.
Be salt and light!
Momma D
