Be not afraid

Once again, Leah in her bungalow kitchen has written a thoughtful, pertinent post, this time on the subject of fear and its antidote, joy. Read the poem she quotes. Then read the article to which she links, "The Market In Fear," by Frank Furedi.

Fear has lost its relationship to experience. When confronted with a specific threat such as the plague or an act of war, fear can serve as an emotion that guides us in a sensible direction. However, when fear is promoted as promiscuously as it is today, it breeds an unfocused sense of anxiety that can attach itself to anything. In such circumstances fear can disorient and distract us from our very own experiences. That is why fear has acquired connotations that are entirely negative.

Study what the writer of the gospel of Matthew has to say about fear. Read an (abbreviated, I think,) article about "The Disposition of Joy." Join other Lutheran women in learning to Act Boldly!