Fear

Several years ago I laid in hospital and spoke with the hospital priest. I remember as if it were yesterday. The priest was african american with a thick accent. He was so spiritual and inspiring. I certainly need it at the time. I had been waiting for the biopsy results and was in the hospital due to a severe drug reaction.

Back to the priest. He told me that fear was the work of the devil. Of course he phrased it more elegantly. But the essence was that God would not work through fear but through love. He said that to give in to fear was to concede to the devil.

That may seem simplistic but for me it was quite a revelation. Fear was the work of the devil and his way of keeping us from drawing closer to God.

If you think about it, he's right. To live in His love is to be love. To love others, yourself and to live in hope. Fear is the product of worry, concern, hate and lack of faith.

I bring it up because I have a good friend who is on the brink of great success and she has a fear of success. I get that. Success means accountability. And it also plays into our shared history of Catholic guilt.

Her fear reminded me that fear doesn't come from fear of health like mine, but from other places as well. It reminded me that fear can spring from anywhere and we really need to watch for it.

Fear versus hope. An eternal struggle.