Fear: the Political Weapon that Calls Us to Sacrifice

Granted, it was an imperfect process but it was the best method I had seen on this planet to allow people to live together in peace while they learned, prayed, raised families, produced the things they needed, shared their wealth, and walk to school without fear.

Today I see our country using fear to achieve purposes more to do with personal wealth and power of the wealthy and powerful and less to do with the common interest of the people.

Fear is often revealed in our silence. Silence allows the citizen to avoid both confrontation with and agreement with an act or statement from a power holder that the citizen considers to be incorrect — often corrupt or immoral.

Which leads me to something I picked up to read before my physical therapy appointment the other day. I was hoping to find something besides Gulf Coast Cattleman, which had interested me for my first few appointments but had taught me about all I needed to know about that challenging business.

I looked through the stack of old magazines and saw nothing of interest. Next to the stack of magazines was a stack of leaflets from a local church which published a sermon each week for distribution to members and the public at large. Normally, I wouldn’t have thought to give it another look except for the title of the one on top — “Hard Preaching.” For the record, this was neither from my church nor was it my pastor.

It was a title that pulled me right in but I was called in for my appointment after only a few paragraphs. My therapist game me permission to pocket it for later reading.

I have to say that I was a little surprised to find it a thoughtful sermon on the things that get preachers in trouble with their congregation if they don’t stay silent off certain subjects, that is, if they identify and clarify sin in ways that make some people in the congregation uncomfortable or for calling out by name teachers of erroneous moral guidance and the like.

The pastor cited Old Testament prophets that frequently called out offenders in public life as they preached with clarity and eloquence about the false prophets.

In the published pastor’s conclusion, he advised: “Don’t run from ‘hard preaching.’ Hasten to it. Demand it.”

I thought that surely that hard preachin’ pastor would go on to name a few of the false prophets ruling America today. But he did not. He preached a good sermon about courage, but then he succumbed to fear.

I must stop doing that myself.