Who do you trust your fear to?Henri Nouwen shares this:
"One of the hardest spiritual tasks is to live without prejudices. Sometimes we aren't even aware how deeply rooted our prejudices are. We may think that we relate to people who are different from us in colour, religion, sexual orientation, or lifestyle as equals, but in concrete circumstances our spontaneous thoughts, uncensored words, and knee-jerk reactions often reveal that our prejudices are still there." "Strangers, people different than we are, stir up fear, discomfort, suspicion, and hostility. They make us lose our sense of security just by being "other." Only when we fully claim that God loves us in an unconditional way and look at "those other persons" as equally loved can we begin to discover that the great variety in being human is an expression of the immense richness of God's heart. Then the need to prejudge people can gradually disappear." Who or what do you fear that makes you uncomfortable? Who do you trust your fear to? For me, like Nouwen,I trust my fears and insecurities to God. I don't always do it in the moment, and sometimes it's not until I am safely away from whatever danger or fear that shakes and rattles my being. But each time I run to God in fear I get a little better at reminding myself that I don't have to always run away because God is always there. Even in the face of the stranger or strangeness. Comments are closed.
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Ian MacdonaldAn ex-copywriter turned punk rock pastor and peacemaker who dedicates his life to making the world a better place for all humanity. "that they all might be one" ~John 17:21“Prius vita quam doctrina.”
~ St. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) * “Life is more important than doctrine.”
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