Why this book now?
Unafraid is about living free from fear in what today is a fear-inducing world. We are surrounded by fearfulness in television, video games, news programs, advertisements, and politics. Unfortunately, even religion often uses fear as a means of control, even though the Bible repeatedly bids us: "Fear not." To be unafraid is not a matter of being brave or courageous. It is simply living, learning, enjoying the real world, free from intimidation, in communion with God and neighbor.
Living in fear blinds us to reality and transforms us into bumbling, unhappy, self-centered cowards. Enjoyment of everyday life and consideration of the welfare of others disappears. Yes, there are dangers around us and we must act intelligently and cautiously, but living in fear makes it impossible to live life fully.
The hymn, "Unafraid" was sung in Denmark during the Danish Resistance to the Nazi occupation in World War II, a time of tremendous danger when people had to be extremely cautious or they could be murdered as well as cause the death of others. Nevertheless, in spite of being surrounded by immanent danger, people found they could live in the spirit of being "Unafraid,"—doing what they knew was the right thing, living for the good of humanity, preserving individual compassion and dignity Doing so made life worthwhile and even made death, if it came to that, more acceptable.
Fear takes away our capacity for relationships with fellow human beings, and on a political level causes misunderstandings between nations. Fear leads to flight or fight, sometimes resulting in unrelated or unnecessary actions.. The United States invaded Iraq because we were whipped up by fear of what MIGHT occur.
.I am struck by how much in the Bible and in my father’s sermons beckons us to not be afraid. Several of the sermons were given during the ‘50s which also had their share of fear-mongers. Every age does. (Remember Joe McCarthy?). Thank goodness, the church, for the most part, did not yield to that particular fear epidemic!
What I think is different from the Christian Church now compared to the decades about which I write is that the extreme Christian right has infiltrated our culture as a whole, spreading its message of fear, dehumanization, and hatred. We are now in the position of needing to counteract this before it gets any worse. How ironic that much of religion now thrives on fear as a way to control people. Fear of homosexuals? What real harm might homosexuals do? Fear of "liberals" destroying society? What could be more ridiculous? These are decoys away from hearing the gospel message straight on—to love our neighbors as ourselves—to be just and kind. The message of peace and justice, prevalent throughout the Bible, has been obfuscated by tenets which are either non-existent in the Bible or apply to social mores of the time in which they were written.
Joy Ibsen