Portrait of Archbishop Dom Helder Camara of Brazilian Liberation Theology who said, “It is useless to dream of reforming society without a corresponding deep change in our inner lives.”
Fear is such a powerful emotion for humans that when we allow it to take us over, it drives compassion right out of our hearts.
~ Thomas Aquinas
How much of the turmoil seething all around us comes from masks put on to hide deep-seated fears—fear of losing control, fear of being discounted or abandoned, fear of difference, fear of not enough to go around, fear of change, fear of death? The insistent, brash voices that would stir up our fears, playing on our insecurities; and the unpredictable, violent actions of those that relish our terror—both feed on and corrupt our sense of vulnerability. Now is the time for courage, for honestly acknowledging our fears so that they can become bridges rather than walls. The fearful heart cannot engage; the anxieties that keep us awake at night close off the very oxygen we need to breathe. What if bringing our own fears out into the open could disarm the fear and anger coming our way from others? What if our vulnerabilities could teach us to overcome “fight or flight” with compassion? Finding a third way of standing fast against hate and injustice while loving our enemies brings us face to face with fear. How do we cultivate courage?
Our word “courage” comes from the French word coeur, “heart.” Courage is a willingness to act from the heart, to let your heart lead the way, not knowing what will be required of you next, and if you can do it.
~ Jean Shinoda Bolen in GODS IN EVERYMAN
“Consider the lillies of the field, how they grow…” (Luke 12:27)