The Next Step Beyond fear

     As a parent and as a pastor I have watched many people take their next step beyond fear.  In one of our recent Baptism services I baptized a young man who, unknown to me, was terrified of going under the water. He wanted to be baptized in the "best way" and so was willing to take the next step beyond his fear.  By the way, even as he surrendered in Baptism to God he fought me with all his physical strength.  I barely got him under the water.  I came perilously close to losing my grip on him.  What have you wanted so much that you were willing to take the next step beyond your fear?  Is there someone you trust enough to know they will not lose their grip on you?
     Over the past weekend, and with much help from my wife Kathy and daughter Lauren, I took my five grandchildren on an exciting outing.  We stayed two nights at the indoor water slide park, Fort Rapids, in Columbus.  One deeply rewarding facet of this experience was watching my granddaughter Elaina, age 4, take her next step beyond fear.  A couple of us tried to get Elaina to play under the water falls and go down the children's slides.  But she kept telling us that she didn't like getting water in her eyes.  We pushed her a bit.  She resisted more until finally all Elaina would do was to sit in a chair by the pool watching all of the other children delightfully playing.  This went on for about an hour and I finally acknowledged that Elaina would have to overcome her fear in her own way and time.
     Suddenly Elaina darted from her chair.  She is a runner and can disappear faster than ice cream on a hot summer day.  I chased her--but kept my distance.  She played near some other children in the shallow pool.  Gradually her play became more joyful.  Soon it was time for supper.
     We came back the next morning and Elaina headed for the same quiet pool, with one alert adult or the other always ready to pursue her at a moments notice.  Then, in the fullness of her own time, Elaina was ready and she darted towards the falls and the smaller slides.  Her delight and self-confidence grew.  Elaina took her next step beyond fear.
     What about you and me?  Do we take our next steps beyond fear because someone pushes usor because our eyes are on some kind of prize, like freedom, or adventure or joy or love, and we finally decide that the reward is worth the risk?
     Perfect love casts out fear.  What kinds of love?  Love for oneself.  Love for family.  Love for God.  Love for all of God's Children.

     Lots of Americans are afraid of Moslems and their real and imagined connections to terrorism.  Americans and Moslems are, in actual fact, a threat to each others perceived self-interest.  We are afraid of each other's religions because Islam and Christianity have committed atrocities against each other.  For me, what I must do to transcend this fear is to remember prayerfully that we are all children of God and God longs for us to COEXIST and RESPECT and LOVE each other.  Even my imperfect love for God casts out fear.  As I look forward to being in Turkey for almost a month my fear is not that harm will come to me.  My fear is that nothing deeply meaningful will come of this, especially that no life changing relationships will be birthed.  I journey in search of other faces of God seen especially in the faces of the Children of god.
     May we all follow the example of my granddaughter Elaina in learning to let go of fear.  Love, Ken