for 25 AUG 07: ALL SHOOK UP
(BLOGGER'S NOTE: You may find this item humorous, serious, or a little of both - but we offer these thoughts from time to time, as we keep a seventh-day Sabbath.)
The man walked into the office, and felt he had to explain something. He had decided against going down a certain street in the Columbus area, because he was afraid of what might happen. A couple of identifying banners scared him away - and no, this was NOT a Georgia graduate visiting Auburn University fans.
This man happened to be African-American, and he flinched at the thought of going down a road where people had Confederate flags outside their homes. I guess this explains why the man lives in the Columbus area, and not in Mississippi....
But when I heard the man's explanation, a word came to my mind -- profiling. If I had been in his shoes and expressed fear of going down 30th Avenue or Cusseta Road, civil rights leaders certainly would use that word against me. They'd call it racial profiling - but I wonder if they'd call the other man's fear justified, and stage a march of support.
There's a key word at the core of this man's explanation -- fear. How much division in our society is due to fear? It's not merely racial divisions. There have been religious divisions in Northern Ireland, ethnic divisions in Rwanda - and don't forget that Columbus motorcycle club's strange Father's Day dinner at Hooters.
The church congregation I attend has focused on fear a good bit in recent weeks. One man noted fear works as a motivator for young children, but it tends to fade as they grow older. I think a leading indicator of that switch occurs when youngsters begin to enjoy roller coasters....
But when it comes to the word "fear," the Bible can be a bit complicated. On the one hand, believers are told to fear God. On the other hand, we're told to love God - and reminded "perfect love casts out fear." So what do we do? And are we in trouble if we buy one of those "No Fear" T-shirts?
The best explanation I've heard is that "fear" can have several definitions. Fear can mean "to revere" or worship - and that's proper to do toward God. Say what you will about our country's fight for independence, but at least the British learned a bit of Paul revere....
Fear also can mean to be timid or scared - and the Bible indicates believers should NOT be that way. The book of Psalms says we shouldn't be afraid of human evil or terror. Besides, people who stockpiled the drug Cipro six years ago may be finding their prescriptions are past the potency date.
Keeping the two definitions in mind, it seems to me that the more you fear God, the less likely you are to fear other people. God can intervene to provide protection in dangerous situations. Some soldiers who have survived a tour of Iraq know that - much less police officers who survive undercover drug busts.
The Friday evening news offered a couple of examples of why we need not fear other people groups. WRBL showed "Diversity Day" at Aflac, including a group of Hawaiian hula dancers. Hawaii seems even less likely to secede from the U.S. than the "Southern Heritage" supporters.
There was also a story from Plains, where Japanese exchange students met former President Carter. He said exchanges show how human beings tend to have a lot in common. It's something we all should remember -- but doesn't that really mean more people are fearful than they should be?
COMING SUNDAY: Michael Vick plays "Let's Make a Deal"....
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