Balancing Fear and Hope

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The other day, I saw two signs which juxtaposed against each other very harshly.  The first was a church sign.  The second was a house sign.  

The church had written on their sign something to the effect of "Fear encouraged is faith abandoned."  The message here was very clear.  Faith is about not being afraid.  Hope and fear cannot coexist together because if you have fear, then you don't have faith. Faithful people have hope and aren't afraid.   

Next door to the church was another sign at a house and this one was home made and written in red paint on a bed sheet so that everyone driving by could read it.  It essentially said "Don't be a jerk, stay home."  The message here was also very clear.  There are very real things to be afraid of in this world, and disregarding these fears can kill yourself and others.  In other words, if you don't have fear you are a bad person regardless how "faithful" you might think you are.

The truth is that people don't know how to handle this time without precedent and it shows up in this dichotomy between the two signs.  This debate spans from the lowest reaches of social media to the height of power in our own government.  It is very easy for someone with hope to dismiss someone with fear and it is also very easy for someone with fear to dismiss someone with hope.  That being said, fear and hope do not have to be mutually exclusive.  

It is ok to be afraid and it is also ok to have hope.  Fear is not a bad thing any more than hope is a good thing.  What matters is not whether we are motivated primarily by hope or by fear, but how our primary motivations, whatever they might be, cause us to treat the people around us.

My advice is this: Just as it is a good thing to hope for the best, it is likewise prudent to prepare for the worst.  Maybe you might not be afraid of the virus, but don't badger those who are afraid. Instead, accommodate them by wearing a mask, respecting personal boundaries, and washing your hands regularly.  One can have hope and still be kind to those who don't have your hope and confidence.  

Understand that people with fear naturally will get defensive and upset if challenged.  Don't take it personally.  Even if you disagree with someone's fears, don't exercise your hope by aggravating those fears.  It will not hurt you to be kind and accommodate those who have concerns by wearing a mask in public and washing your hands often.  In fact, it is by validating other's feelings and respecting their wishes rather than by challenging people aggressively that you will find yourself able to share your hope.  Christianity 101 is love your neighbor first and foremost.

During this trying time remember to love is the greatest command of all and this extends to those who we disagree with.  If your enemy is thirsty give them something to drink.  If they need you to wear a mask, put one on.  That is what Christian love is all about.    

The reality is no one knows what the future will bring.  The pandemic might get miraculously better but it also might get tragically worse.  Just be aware that hope can sometimes be delusional and fear sometimes stifling.  Do not allow your zealous hope to cause you to forsake common sense.  Likewise, do not allow valid fears to eat you alive and ruin the life you are so carefully preserving.  

If we are to get through these troubling times we MUST do so together.  We will need to learn how to listen to those people who see the same situation differently rather than arguing with others over who is right.  The reality is no one will know who is right until 2020 is in hindsight and even then it is not guaranteed.  

What matters now is not being right, but being loving.  To be unloving is always to be unconditionally wrong.  We must learn from the best qualities of those we disagree with in order to balance out the limitations of our own perspectives.  This is how one becomes a well rounded individual.  

Learn prudence from those with fear.  Learn positivity from those with hope.  In both cases, treat others the way you'd like to be treated with kindness and respect.  



Ron Ullrich is an
Associate Pastor at
Generations of Grace in
Lebanon, TN