The bane of our world is violence.
From the violence of wild beasts to the torture chambers of the Middle East violence rules.
But what is violence but fear?
The fight or flight adrenalin rush of fear.
Why do superpowers build nuclear missiles that can destroy our whole world?
Because they are afraid of being attacked by their enemies.
So they deploy a deterrent.
What is war but fear of attack?
Empires are monuments to fear.
Fear of being displaced as the dominant power.
So they oppress foreign powers.
And threaten them with violence.
The fears that rule our planet speak of a lack of faith.
"God has forsaken the earth" is the cry!
"We must defend ourselves"
If we truly believed in God we would know that there will always be enough.
God provides.
If we loved God we would lose our fear.
And we would love our neighbor.
Excellent post! I agree that fear is one of the biggest motivating factors for violence, but I would add another--hunger for power and domination. I think this is more than fear of the loss of power. It is a need to dominate others.
ReplyDeleteTogether fear and the hunger for power make for a very violent world. Adopting the love of the Father would change the situation.
Tim,
DeleteThe hunger to dominate others comes from a fear of being dominated.. This kind of fear can be difficult to see. It is the kind of fear that motivates bullies in schoolyards. I must dominate you because if I don't others will dominate me. It is a show of strength out of fear of others. This may become an addiction in time but the original motivation is fear.