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Fear Not: Living Grace and Truth in a Frightened World
Learn how to face your fears and and live into courageous and faithful action with Fear Not. Americans live in a culture of fear, whether we know it or care to admit it. Who will attack us next? Who will steal our jobs? Whose relationship undermines the sanctity of mine? In an era when manipulative messaging is unavoidable, politicians, media, marketers, and even faith leaders play on our fears and use them to win elections, gain attention, sell products, and influence the way you view those around you -- all in the name of claiming power. Fear Not subverts insidious fear-based messaging with the creation of courageous communities committed to truth-telling, grace, hope, and love. Drawing on decades as a community-building and church growth leader for churches and nonprofit organizations, Eric H.F. Law shares practical resources and processes for bringing diverse people together to build authentic relationships and share their truth. Each chapter includes suggested activities and questions for discussion and tips for creating small discussion groups.
128 pages, Paperback
Published February 4, 2020
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9 people want to read
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March 26, 2020
Fear is a potent and powerful emotion. It often has destructive consequences, to ourselves and others. Fear is easily manipulated for political and even religious gain. We all experience it, but how do we deal with it? As we consider these realities and questions, we can take note that while Scripture tells us to fear (revere) God, it also tells us that there is no fear in love.
In his book Fear Not, which is an updated edition of his earlier book Finding Intimacy in a World of Fear, invites us to address our fears and live more constructive lives. The first version of the book was written in the aftermath of 9-11, thus much of the book draws from Law's experiences in ministry during the five years following 9-11. This edition picks up in the aftermath of the 2016 election that led to the presidency of Donald Trump.
The first seven chapters are mostly drawn from the earlier edition of the book. The information provided in these chapters is easily transferable to the current situation. He deals with the nature of fear, how it is used by marketers, politicians, and others. He writes of how rituals and rules (and a color-coded threat-level system) that are designed to help people deal with their fears. Chapter four is especially helpful in that he speaks here of three ways of engaging fear -- the fear conqueror (the fighter/hero), the fear-bearer (victim), and finally the fear-miner. Law suggests that Jesus offered a third option, and that was being a fear-miner, that is, he encouraged fearful people to mine their fears "wisdom and knowledge of grace, forgiveness, justice, and the seeds of ministry" (p. 59). This last piece is the key--out of our fears can come the seeds of ministry.
Even as Jesus calls us to be fear-miners, he warns us against fear-exploiters. Law suggests that "fear exploiters try to replace God with their own images. They give the illusion that they are powerful by evoking fear. Through fear, they manipulate others to become fear-conquerors using aggression and punishment to instill fear on others. Through fear, they turn others into fear-bearers who will submit to their control" (p. 67). In response to fear-exploiters Law offers an invitation to intimacy with God. Then in chapter 6, Law explores how intimacy with God is experienced in the intimacy of community. This invitation is given in the context of a world living in fear, something many are experiencing at this moment when a pandemic is sweeping across the world. The choice then is ours whether we will embrace community and intimacy with others.
Chapter 7 is rooted in the challenge of navigating racial diversity, which is often understood in binary ways. Being that Law is Chinese, he has experienced his own forms of exclusion. So in a chapter titled "Why Are You Here?" he addresses some of these questions and how he was able to move into a ministry of diversity training, with a focus on intercultural sensitivity.
It is in chapter 8, titled "I need your light" that he brings the conversation into the current situation, that is the post-2016 election. He speaks to the growing polarization and division of the moment, which is fueled by grievance and bigotry, both of which are rooted in fears of being displaced. Wrapped up in this discussion is the reality of social media, something that was not as prevalent in the years immediately following 9-11. In this chapter, Law describes a process by which bridges can be built across the divide so that conversations can occur. One of the resources that Law has helped create is a guided conversation titled "Building Bridges Now: Dialogue on Race and Other Important Issues of Our Time." This resource covers several key social issues and is designed to be used by facilitators that follow a precise script. The appendix to the book provides the reader with one of the sessions, which is titled "Prep for the Holidays." The purpose of this session is to prepare participants for those often tension-filled holiday gatherings, in the hope they can be more generous and productive.
It's amazing how much of a book on responses to fear written in the aftermath of 9-11 can speak to the situation we currently find ourselves in. Things have not gotten better in the years since 9-11, but the reflections generated by that event speak to a world in disarray, where fear is rampant and divisions are widening. This is, therefore, a book for our times.
In his book Fear Not, which is an updated edition of his earlier book Finding Intimacy in a World of Fear, invites us to address our fears and live more constructive lives. The first version of the book was written in the aftermath of 9-11, thus much of the book draws from Law's experiences in ministry during the five years following 9-11. This edition picks up in the aftermath of the 2016 election that led to the presidency of Donald Trump.
The first seven chapters are mostly drawn from the earlier edition of the book. The information provided in these chapters is easily transferable to the current situation. He deals with the nature of fear, how it is used by marketers, politicians, and others. He writes of how rituals and rules (and a color-coded threat-level system) that are designed to help people deal with their fears. Chapter four is especially helpful in that he speaks here of three ways of engaging fear -- the fear conqueror (the fighter/hero), the fear-bearer (victim), and finally the fear-miner. Law suggests that Jesus offered a third option, and that was being a fear-miner, that is, he encouraged fearful people to mine their fears "wisdom and knowledge of grace, forgiveness, justice, and the seeds of ministry" (p. 59). This last piece is the key--out of our fears can come the seeds of ministry.
Even as Jesus calls us to be fear-miners, he warns us against fear-exploiters. Law suggests that "fear exploiters try to replace God with their own images. They give the illusion that they are powerful by evoking fear. Through fear, they manipulate others to become fear-conquerors using aggression and punishment to instill fear on others. Through fear, they turn others into fear-bearers who will submit to their control" (p. 67). In response to fear-exploiters Law offers an invitation to intimacy with God. Then in chapter 6, Law explores how intimacy with God is experienced in the intimacy of community. This invitation is given in the context of a world living in fear, something many are experiencing at this moment when a pandemic is sweeping across the world. The choice then is ours whether we will embrace community and intimacy with others.
Chapter 7 is rooted in the challenge of navigating racial diversity, which is often understood in binary ways. Being that Law is Chinese, he has experienced his own forms of exclusion. So in a chapter titled "Why Are You Here?" he addresses some of these questions and how he was able to move into a ministry of diversity training, with a focus on intercultural sensitivity.
It is in chapter 8, titled "I need your light" that he brings the conversation into the current situation, that is the post-2016 election. He speaks to the growing polarization and division of the moment, which is fueled by grievance and bigotry, both of which are rooted in fears of being displaced. Wrapped up in this discussion is the reality of social media, something that was not as prevalent in the years immediately following 9-11. In this chapter, Law describes a process by which bridges can be built across the divide so that conversations can occur. One of the resources that Law has helped create is a guided conversation titled "Building Bridges Now: Dialogue on Race and Other Important Issues of Our Time." This resource covers several key social issues and is designed to be used by facilitators that follow a precise script. The appendix to the book provides the reader with one of the sessions, which is titled "Prep for the Holidays." The purpose of this session is to prepare participants for those often tension-filled holiday gatherings, in the hope they can be more generous and productive.
It's amazing how much of a book on responses to fear written in the aftermath of 9-11 can speak to the situation we currently find ourselves in. Things have not gotten better in the years since 9-11, but the reflections generated by that event speak to a world in disarray, where fear is rampant and divisions are widening. This is, therefore, a book for our times.
Displaying 1 of 1 review