Don't Be Afraid

Are there times in your life when you are paying more attention?  Lent is one of those times, for me.  Last year during Lent, I saw the lack of peace I had in my life.  This year, everywhere I turn, I feel like I'm being told to have no fear. That Eminem song "Not Afraid" even pops up on my Pandora station. (That does not seem like a very feminist or Christian thing to admit...)

My pastor, this Sunday, said that in the Bible when God was about to ask someone to do something or announce a life-changing event about to happen, the message would begin with "Don't be afraid."  He also pointed out that people do really dumb things when they are afraid.

The times I regret most are times that I gave in to fear.  The times that are most memorable or joyful, the ones I'm either proud of or thankful for, often involved pushing through fear.

Looking at our recent posts, I was struck again by the "fear not" concept.  Our Snow Flower discussion has turned to talking about unnaturally bending ourselves to fit into cultural standards.  What if we had the courage to not define ourselves by others' reactions to us?  What if we were brave enough to point out the things in our culture that enslave us and declare "Enough!" We cut off, hide, or distort pieces of ourselves, and what we are left with afterward is a settled-for version of who we could be.

We are exploring International Justice Mission this month, an organization whose employees and clients face down fear on a daily basis.  There are so many people who reach down deep to find courage to get up in the morning.  Addicts. Survivors. Vampire-Slayers (I just read an article, seriously, arguing about how Buffy was a feminist TV show, so I was inspired to throw that in). I think about Nancy Gruver's article that encouraged us be brave enough to figure out what our own dreams and passions are and to fight for them, so that our daughters will learn to do the same.

Both feminism and Christianity offer us better visions of the world and beckon us to join the quest. But something restrains us, convinces us that we are better off where we are.

Fear.

Quiet and nagging or terrifying and looming, we wonder "what if" and talk ourselves into backing away from the threat of opportunity. The way we live out our feminism or Christianity is often just a series of reactions to fear.

What's in the forefront of your mind?  What are you wrestling with?  What are you longing for?

Don't be afraid.