In 2021, how many masks did you have? My wife and other women at church produced a closet full of stylish protective masks at the height of the COVID epidemic. I could choose my color and level of protection. Going in public, we used our best ones with special layers of protection. Why did we do it? Because we were afraid of a deadly and debilitating disease.
Here in 2023, my memories of the fear have faded. I rarely see a person with a mask. It’s easy to forget that for two years every newscast offered a litany of fear, debate, and hopes of a vaccine. Medical facilities struggled to cope with the sick. We were afraid to hug, breathe the air of a restaurant, or send our children to school. Millions died and more suffered economic disaster. Can you remember when fear was our common denominator?
Actually, our world today continues to raise up new threats. A European war, supermarket mass murders, layoffs, destructive storms with rising intensity are just a sample of our nightmares. In reality, fear can be lurking near each one of us.
I’m Larry Payne, your host on TFJ. Today let’s look at fear. It’s common and sometimes it brings thoughts and actions that aren’t the best. So, it’s worthwhile to explore how we can handle it. You can develop skills to move beyond being afraid.
Let me take you to a Psalm that echoes with the same emotion. We don’t know the context of the situation that evoked the emotion but it’s obvious in Psalm 27 how raw, paralyzing fear stalked through the dark night. Even though the singer of that ancient world could not conceive of a virus or a hospital, she knew the same fears that have awakened us in our world.
Psalm 27:1-3 describes the situation. “When evildoers assail me… my adversaries and foes… encamp against me…though war rise up against me…” Though the language is poetic, something is deeply threatening and fear is growing.
What is fear? It may be the most primitive and instinctive of all human emotions. Scientists tell us a total body reaction is provoked when danger appears. Adrenaline surges through our muscles, the heart beats faster, breathing is rapid, pupils dilate, blood flow changes, and sweat glands open. We are ready to fight, flee or freeze. A few microseconds later, the thinking parts of our brain rush to interpret what is happening. We analyze the threat and decide on a course of action. Hopefully, this is a wise and appropriate reaction.
Fear is a legitimate feeling. But we should understand that feeling fear is different than being afraid. The distinction is important. Fear is a feeling based on an instinctive physiological response but being afraid is a choice. Fear is an emotion that comes automatically when danger is present but being afraid is linking my identity to fear. Fear is about something which threatens me; being afraid is my interpretation of what I experience. When we allow ourselves to become afraid, we are choosing to make fear part of who we are rather than just what we experience. When we choose to be afraid, we can make decisions that aren’t the best! In the pandemic, we rushed to hoard toilet paper, stocked up on yeast that we don’t know how to use, blamed other nations to excuse our own failure, rejected proven medical treatments for unproven remedies, or hid in anxious isolation. Being afraid is a choice that takes the object of my fear from outside and stuffs it inside my soul.
Great literature often follows what is known as the Hero’s Journey motif. Joseph Campbell analyzed stories across many cultures to find this mythological structure that makes a great tale and life worth living. The Hero’s Journey is a narrative that takes a person from ordinary life through a frightful adventure, a threatening ordeal, transformation, and finally returning as a different person. We’ve watched it unfold on the movie screen with Harry Potter, Luke Skywalker, Moana, Elsa, and many others. Dealing with the fears within and threats outside is a central task for the hero. I know not many of us would want to claim we are “heroes,” but we have our own ordeals to face. Campbell writes, “The heroes of all time have gone before us… we have only to follow the thread of the hero-path. Where we had thought to find an abomination, we shall find a god; where we had thought to slay another, we shall slay ourselves; where we had thought to travel outward, we shall come to the center of our own existence; where we had thought to be alone, we shall be with all the world.”
Fear will greet us in the hard times throughout life. Is it possible for us to accept this fear yet not become afraid? I believe that even in dangerous times, we can choose not to be afraid. I think Scripture and modern wisdom offers an antidote to living fearfully.
First, the discovery of new truths offers an antidote to being afraid. The state of being afraid comes as our thought patterns are focused on the problem, the pain, or our inadequacy. A breakthrough comes when we turn our attention to new resources, facts, or helpers. The Psalmist shows us this in seeking a greater awareness of God. “This I will seek: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in the temple.” (Psalm 27:4) The singer points to a different response and way of thinking, in this case, the spiritual resources of worship and meditation.
Joseph Campbell’s motif shows the hero must go through a phase of development to meet the challenge that is looming. Dan Bronzite writes, “The Hero needs to find out who can be trusted and who can't. He may earn allies and meet enemies who will, each in their own way, help prepare him for the greater ordeals yet to come. This is the stage where his skills and/or powers are tested and every obstacle that he faces helps… gain a deeper insight.”
In the Harry Potter movie series, Harry must prevent the normal world from being taken over by the world of magic. In his quest he discovers new truths about himself and his resources on the mission to stop the plot of Valdemort. Along the way he finds his allies, Ron and Hermonie, and mentors at the Hogwarts Academy. With these he can confront his fears to build a new narrative of his special power and place in the world.
In our everyday struggles, we can focus our attention on God’s presence. We can engage our rational mind to move our thoughts from the feeling of fear to the fact of God as a companion on this journey. We can turn on the senses of our soul to become aware of the Divine. God is love, and the reality of love has a powerful affect. This truth emerges centuries later for the Christian believers in the short letter of 1 John which says, “Perfect love casts out fear.” (1 John 4:18)
With this Presence, the circumstances looked so different to the Psalmist, “God will hide me in the day of trouble; God will conceal me under the cover of the tent; God will set me high on a rock.” (Psalm 27:5) This poetic language is not theology that guarantees God will do some special intervention of protection, of course. But it is a testimony of the change in the poet’s mental state. In times of trouble, we can embrace new resources, skills, and strategies. We can create a fortress as we discover new resources that turn our minds away from the threat.
There’s a second action which helps deal with the fearful challenges. The Psalmist calls it “waiting on God.” It is an admonition to not respond in some frantic, desperate action, but pause to see what God wants to do in the situation. The singer urges us, “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”
Waiting is not a passive acceptance of whatever may come along, instead it is an active trust that God will show the way. Waiting on God is an attitude filled with hope as the pervasive work of God unfolds. Waiting on God is built on the belief that God is active everywhere, in everything, moving all with Love, Goodness and Purpose. We read carefully the Scriptures which teach that God has been and always is active in our universe. Jesus said, “My father is always at work to this very day, and I too am working.” (John 5:17)
During the waiting on the work of God our job is to be learning. When a problem is threatening, fear grows. We don’t know how to act. This makes it vital to slow down and embrace a teachable mindset. The Psalmist asked God to teach her. In vs 11 she sings, “Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path.” The poetess commits to learn during the time of waiting, to engage the mind while anticipating the greater work of God. She wanted to learn what should be done, and what should not be done. Fear will diminish when we embrace a teachable mindset.
A crucial character for the hero in the Campbell motif is the mentor. The mentor is the person or thing who has been through testing and can offer wisdom. Based on past experiences and discoveries, the mentor can offer the hero knowledge, power, or strategies for meeting the ordeal ahead. Yoda tutored Luke Skywalker on the power of the Force, and Rafki the baboon guides Simba through his trials. The hero with a teachable mindset will be prepared for the challenge.
Who would you consider your mentor, providing wisdom for your journey? The answer will vary according to the challenge faced. A father could be a model for how to be a husband, or a trusted teacher could coach a young woman entering a career. This year, thousands of young black men benefit from the 100 Black Men of America chapters across the nation, which bring Black mentors into regular contact with teens and young adults. When we face a challenge, it’s vital to seek the wisdom of those who have been on the journey.
A final part of moving away from a frightened state is engagement with the frightful realities ahead of us. In Campbell’s motif, the Hero must go through the trials of the ordeal. Christopher Vogler writes, “The Hero engages in the Ordeal, the central life-or-death crisis, during which he faces his greatest fear, confronts this most difficult challenge, and experiences “death”. His journey teeters on the brink of failure.”
The stories of Scripture tell of heroes who went through the ordeal of engaging the threat. David faced Goliath, Jeremiah suffered a yoke of shame, and Jesus stood in the garden as the soldiers entered to arrest him. Movie goers knew that Harry Potter had to finally confront Voldemort. There is no way to reach the goal without engaging the frightful opponent or situation.
Our engagement scenes may not be world-shaking like Harry Potter’s, or David of Israel. We are engaging our fears when we apologize for a wrong, discuss a problem with our boss, or report for one more painful rehab session. In these encounters there is an ordeal, a crisis, or a test that we may win or lose. We make the choice to use the skills we’ve learned, the wisdom mentors have shared, or the beliefs we’ve refined to meet the threat that challenges us. Our engagement says we have already won over our fearful mind and confusion.
Consider again the journey we’ve made through the pandemic. We were forced to leave ordinary life and face a real threat. We worked to identify our allies and gain resources. God raised up an army of healthcare providers, researchers, and progressive leaders who came to the aid in the battle. We began to engage the challenge and deal with our fears. Unprecedented economic actions were taken to keep families from bankruptcy. We had to master new ways of thinking about our health with wearing a mask, washing our hands, viral loads, vaccines, and boosters. Millions responded in local communities by adapting to new lifestyles, supporting the needy, educating the children, and acting responsibly to get vaccinated. It was an ordeal! Yet today we can see that the lives of millions were saved and now daily life has discovered a new normal.
So, here we are today. The threats may be personal or in the community. It’s normal to feel fear rise up inside us. Yet we can choose to not become afraid. We can instead find resources, learn from mentors to prepare for action, and engage with the frightful challenge. God is with us in this work and we may come to the confidence that filled the ancient singer of Israel with courage. Our song may be like hers, “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?”
CITED
Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces. New World Library, Third Edition, 2008.
Dan Bronzite, “The Hero's Journey - Mythic Structure of Joseph Campbell's Monomyth.” https://www.movieoutline.com/articles/the-hero-journey-mythic-structure-of-joseph-campbell-monomyth.html
Christopher Vogler, “Excepts from Myth and the Movies by Stuart Voytilla.” https://www.tlu.ee/~rajaleid/montaazh/Hero%27s%20Journey%20Arch.pdf