Over the summer I picked up the newly released novel by Kathleen McGowan entitled “The Book of Love“. The Book of Love is a fictional account of the life and times of the closest followers of Jesus during the first millennium. At one point in the story the heroine is confronted by a mob of angry men who threaten her life. At the pinnacle of the confrontation the heroine receives a divine message. The angelic messenger declares, “Fear and faith cannot exist in the same place at the same time. Choose one.”
It strikes me that we too need to make this choice. We are in a time of accelerated change. Some would call it a crisis. The world as we know it is being transformed – economically, environmentally, and personally. The paradigms, structures, and beliefs systems that guided us in the past are being challenged. New ways of thinking and living are required. ‘More of the same’ will not work. But underneath all of the choices is one consistent choice – faith or fear?
You might not recognize that this is the choice being demanded of us. This is especially true if you narrowly associate the word “faith” with being aligned with a particular religion. I see the question of faith as larger than which religion will I subscribe to. I see faith as about the position I will take with regard to myself, my family, my community, and the world at large.
Do I have faith that collectively we can solve the challenges we face? Do I have faith that the world we experience is a result of our collective choices, and that by changing our choices we can change our world? Do I have faith in the desire of humanity to live in peace and harmony with the other life forces on this planet?
In my view, the question of whether one chooses ‘fear’ or ‘faith’ is not really a choice. To choose fear is not life affirming. To choose fear is not life altering. To choose fear catapults me into a life of ‘fight or flight’ – a world of chaos and suffering. The only real option is faith.
When I was in my time of personal crisis due to the critical medical needs of my son Joshua, I sought answers from a wide variety of sources. One area I investigated was the major religions of the world. I wanted to know what wisdom the world’s religions offer to guide me during my suffering and despair. I noticed that one idea, one directive was proposed over and over again, regardless whether the teacher was Christian, Buddhist, Jew, or Muslim. The message was, “Fear Not”.
There is no value in fear. Fear causes contraction, paralysis, flight, or fight. Fear activates the part of our neurological structure that is called the “Reptilian Brain”. This is the oldest part of our brain stem that is only concerned with survival. My survival. It responds to the world in a highly reactive way and competitive way. There is no capacity within our reptilian brains for reflection, thought, dialogue, compromise, collaboration, or creativity.
Given the complexity of the world today, it is impossible to solve our challenges using our reptilian brains. Instead we must access our higher brains; the part of the brain where logic, rational thought, intuition, innovation, and creativity prevail. This part of the human structure is our higher brain. Some people call this our Divine self. I believe that we are our most ‘divine’ when we respond to the world as ‘creative’ beings rather than ‘reactive’ beings.
If we are to solve the challenges that humanity faces today, we need to be fully positioned in our higher brains. This means, fear is not an option. Thus, when challenged by life, by friends, family, colleagues and community, local and international, what will you choose – fear or faith?
