No Fear
- Stephen Chavez
- 3 days ago
- 1 min read
"There is no fear in love. . . . Perfect love drives out fear" (1 John 4:18).*
Most of us take that statement for granted, thanks to Jesus' statement to Nicodemus, "This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only son" (John 3:16)—one of the Bible's most often quoted verses.
Yet often God's people used fear to frighten people into obedience (fear of damnation, fear of disease, fear of condemnation). Even now, those who hold the reigns of power in the United States use fear to frighten and force obedience. Masked agents without warrants roam city streets, grab people of color, hold them without due process, and incarcerate them far from their families or legal representation.
After decades of progress concerning civil rights, people of color, members of the LGBTQA+ community, and recent immigrants have to guard against laws and executive orders designed to curtail their rights and cause emotional suffering. As one proponent of the administration recently stated: "The cruelty is the point."
Just as Americans used peaceful protests to advance the cause of civil rights decades ago, it's our turn to speak up for those who are marginalized or victimized in our government's attempts to cancel programs and funding for those who are most at risk. We cannot afford to do nothing.
Love is on our side.
- Stephen Chavez
Director of Church Relations
