Places of Fear

The terrorist attacks in Paris have left thousands of people in places of fear. American leaders that are demanding to close their borders from refugees are acting from places of fear. Syrian families seeking refuge and safety are in places of fear.

The reality is that all of us often dwell in places of fear.

I love this quote by Parker Palmer:

We have places of fear inside of us, but we have other places as well—places with names like trust and hope and faith. We can choose to lead from one of those places, to stand on ground that is not riddled with the fault lines of fear, to move toward others from a place of promise instead of anxiety. As we stand in one of those places, fear may remain close at hand and our spirits may still tremble. But now we stand on ground that will support us, ground from which we can lead others toward a more trustworthy, more hopeful, more faithful way of being in the world.

May each of us recognize the places of fear inside us, pray for perfect love that casts out fear, and then find in our souls those places of trust, hope and faith. It’s the only way to live.