Week of January 21, 2002
Pastor Dan

"There is no fear in love,
but perfect love casts out fear."
1 John 4:18

This scripture verse was a favorite of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Its meaning and impact still challenges those of us who live each day on the threshold of either fear or courage when we meet those who are different in some way than we are. It was fear, unfortunately, that seized the pilot who detained an impeccably credentialed Secret Service agent on Christmas Day who happened to be of Arab descent. It is fear that makes a person of lighter skin to grab the wallet at first sight of a darker-skinned, young male walking the streets of Trenton. It is fear that encourages us to look out for the educational well-being of my own children within the school district without a larger concern for all students. It is fear that encourages us to advocate our own narrow tastes in musical and artistic expression while putting down other styles as "jungle music."

The perfect love talked about in the epistle comes from and as Christ Jesus who shatters the barriers and shields that we throw up for ourselves. On some days, it seems, I can live with little evidence of the barriers and sense the evidence of Christ's prior work more clearly. On other days, the old Adam dwells deep within me telling me to play it safe, don't upset the apple cart of prejudiced convention. I am sustained in courage primarily by the scriptural words, but also by the living examples of people like Martin Luther King, Jr., and my own father, who had his own bouts with the terrorist tactics of the Ku Klux Klan. But I also know that my own journey requires my own unique response to the forces of fear and hatred.

Let us pray. . . . Father of all mercies, forgive us for not seeing your image in the face of all our neighbors. Christ of all new possibilities, enable us to see beyond the barriers of our fearful hearts. Spirit of all renewed communities, inspire us to enjoy the kaleidoscope of diversity throughout the Church and world. Amen

Contributed by Pastor Dan
Published Monday January 21, 2002
Week 8 of Liturgical Year A