Fear the Dragon
13Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened."
- 1 Peter 3:13-14
"Do not be frightened." Really? Is it just me or does this seem ridiculous? Life, I find, is filled with never ending vicissitudes, paralyzing uncertainties, and unexplainable tragedies. I attended two funerals yesterday. One person's death was expected and somewhat of a relief to the family. The other death was mind-bogglingly shocking. Decisions as grand as who to marry and as petty as whether to take a drive can have life-altering ramifications. And yet Peter tells us that to fear this is not for us. Somehow, apparently, there is a way to rise above these fears. These fears that keep us up at night, drive us to action, and saturate every decision-making process do not have to master us. If this is really true, which I think any sober-minded individual must approach with a healthy dose of skepticism, there must be freedom unimaginable on the other side. The answer, this passage subtly suggests, is not to do away with fear altogether. Rather, it is to exchange one kind of fear for another. Peter is quoting a passage in Isaiah which in the very next line says "The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread." As if we don't have enough fears already, there's one more biggy we failed to consider--fear God. But this fear isn't one you just add to the list. It's a fear that puts all others in perspective. It's like living in the wild, always looking over your shoulder, always keeping the fire going for light, always sleeping with one eye open never knowing when the next wild beast or creepy crawly might make its way through your camp. And then you come across a fire-breathing dragon. And now, you notice nothing else. A lion pounces through and steals your dinner. A snake plays footsie with you. A spider looks for a home in your shirt. And you're completely oblivious. All you notice is that there's a 15-ton fire-breathing dragon looking down at you. But if he's on your side. . . you have nothing to fear. And so Isaiah says in the next verse that if you fear the Lord, "he will be a sanctuary." And the writer of Oh Little Town of Bethlehem proclaims, "The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight." This Christmas, fear the dragon.
- 1 Peter 3:13-14
"Do not be frightened." Really? Is it just me or does this seem ridiculous? Life, I find, is filled with never ending vicissitudes, paralyzing uncertainties, and unexplainable tragedies. I attended two funerals yesterday. One person's death was expected and somewhat of a relief to the family. The other death was mind-bogglingly shocking. Decisions as grand as who to marry and as petty as whether to take a drive can have life-altering ramifications. And yet Peter tells us that to fear this is not for us. Somehow, apparently, there is a way to rise above these fears. These fears that keep us up at night, drive us to action, and saturate every decision-making process do not have to master us. If this is really true, which I think any sober-minded individual must approach with a healthy dose of skepticism, there must be freedom unimaginable on the other side. The answer, this passage subtly suggests, is not to do away with fear altogether. Rather, it is to exchange one kind of fear for another. Peter is quoting a passage in Isaiah which in the very next line says "The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread." As if we don't have enough fears already, there's one more biggy we failed to consider--fear God. But this fear isn't one you just add to the list. It's a fear that puts all others in perspective. It's like living in the wild, always looking over your shoulder, always keeping the fire going for light, always sleeping with one eye open never knowing when the next wild beast or creepy crawly might make its way through your camp. And then you come across a fire-breathing dragon. And now, you notice nothing else. A lion pounces through and steals your dinner. A snake plays footsie with you. A spider looks for a home in your shirt. And you're completely oblivious. All you notice is that there's a 15-ton fire-breathing dragon looking down at you. But if he's on your side. . . you have nothing to fear. And so Isaiah says in the next verse that if you fear the Lord, "he will be a sanctuary." And the writer of Oh Little Town of Bethlehem proclaims, "The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight." This Christmas, fear the dragon.
posted by Kevin Hanly at
4:07 AM
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