52nd Edition
My church recently did a study of the book “Unafraid – Living with Courage and Hope in Uncertain Times” by Adam Hamilton. The premise of the book, and the reason for our church-wide study is that fear is becoming the predominant emotion in our country, driving decisions at virtually every level of society. As I seem to be asking a lot lately – Where to begin?
Let’s start with the chicken and egg question. What comes first, a sense of fear, or a sense of mistrust? Do we fear other people because we don’t trust them, or do we mistrust people because we fear them? Whichever is true, or even if it doesn’t matter, the key point is, I believe, that we remain a country largely segregated racially, economically, and politically. In most communities, there are people living in relatively close proximity that rarely interact on a personal level. Even in our own neighborhoods and churches there are people we don’t know well at all. Worse over, we make assumptions about some of these people that are off the mark. Overlay this disconnection with a gnawing suspicion that people just aren’t trustworthy, and it’s easy to see why a sense of fear and mistrust might be prevalent today. Until we break down these barriers mistrust and fear will continue to flourish. How could it not?
So, what can overcome these obstacles? At a local, or micro level, youth sports is one of the most powerful venues for unification. Parents, independent of socio-economic background, rally around their team quite naturally, with a spirit and camaraderie that would never occur otherwise. Relationships sprout and grow despite cultural or economic differences. The only problem is that this sense of unity ends at the sound of the whistle in the last game of the season. It takes effort to maintain these new relationships once the season is over, and most people aren’t willing to invest the time or energy.
Within every youth sports program there should be a commitment to a broader civic responsibility. Relationships need not die at the end of the season, but it takes time and effort to maintain them. Over the long run, the benefits of a stronger, more integrated community are immeasurable. Unfortunately, this isn’t widely known or discussed by parents and administrators involved in youth sports programs. The emphasis instead is on which team wins the championship and which players make the all-start team. Not bad things, but not the most important focus as it relates to building community and individual character development.
Thankfully there are all kinds of local, grassroots programs designed to bring different people together. This occurs in schools and churches, in YMCAs and community centers all over our country. The people who are engaged in these programs tend not to be the people struggling with fear and mistrust. Getting involved tends to have that effect. Too few do get involved, but there is always hope that more will.
From a business perspective, fear is actually the catalyst that drives innovation while it lubricates the gears of a competitive market economy. Over time, the stock market always climbs a proverbial wall of worry. Why? Because reality always turns out to be better than our collective worst fears, and therefore, all the innovation and intense competition that was driven by our fears produces overwhelming positives to our overall economy. Today’s fears may seem different, even more frightening than previous ones, but the end result is the same. The most useless words when it comes to predicting the stock market are, it’s different this time.
Meanwhile, at a deeper level, there seems to be a battle for our individual and collective soul. Have we reached the point where the constant bombardment of opinions, information, news, and commentary, is so toxic and unreliable that truth and virtue and morality are unattainable? Would we not be better off disconnecting from TV and the Internet and reallocating that time to reading Dickens or Lewis, or perhaps sending a handwritten letter to a friend?
I tried to watch the news the other night, but after three minutes I had to turn it off. If I didn’t I would have spent the rest of the night angry. Who needs that!? Surely there is a better way to stay informed.
Rebuilding integrity, trust, and true community will go a long way toward reducing fear in our country. Turning off the toxic flow of lies and vitriol will also have very positive effects on our national psyche. From this perspective there is a lot we can do. I suspect that the most peaceful and joyful among us have figured it out. They volunteer, read a lot, and are unplugged.
In his first inaugural address on March 4, 1933, President Roosevelt famously stated that, “… the only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.” Today, I don’t think it is that simple. The forces that feed our fears are powerful and relentless. Still, we aren’t helpless, and we aren’t alone in this existential battle. God did not design us to be fearful. He also did not design us to be separate from our fellow man. If we are willing to follow, He will lead us in a better direction.
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Michael Kayes
*These views are my personal opinions and are not the viewpoints of any company or organization.