Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

Passengers gathered at the gate in the Midwest city airport. We were calm, normal Americans, getting on with business or vacations or whatever. I was reading Morning Prayer on my iPad when I heard voices from the overhead television offering diverse opinions about the subject of the day: Should the U.S. ban Muslims from entering our borders?

Such a question. Who in my Baby Boomer generation would have ever imagined it? None of the commentators was frothing at the mouth. They actually seemed to be calm, normal Americans too, talking through horrific events and seemingly unanswerable conditions of today's world. Suddenly a louder voice greeted us from airport speakers.

"Hello. I am Jeh Johnson, Secretary of Homeland Security, reminding you that, 'See something, say something' isn't just a slogan."

The recorded message went on to explain that even the most vigilant security officials need the eyes and ears of good citizens to help prevent... I don't think he used the word terrorism, but we all knew what he meant. If we see or hear anything unusual or suspicious, we should alert authorities. And have a great day.

As the TV volume and discussion resumed, one of the voices simply stated, "People are scared."

No argument there. Into my mind popped the Bible verse that says God did not give us a spirit of fear. I used my last minutes of free airport Wi-Fi to find it.

2 Timothy 1: 7 - "for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline." 

For the remainder of my travel, I meditated on this verse. Surely as Christians we should reflect this spirit in all circumstances. Fear, and wholly reacting out of it, therefore seems to be an inappropriate Christian response. Valuing my government's Judaeo Christian values and founding, I cannot believe that fear is an appropriate American response either. 

This is not to say that we just throw open the gates with no self-discipline about what we value and demand in behavior: respect life (a/k/a "love your neighbor"). It is to say that we should approach the situations of today from a position of strength and confidence. God is with us.

Francis Scott Key said it well in the fourth verse of "The Star Spangled Banner:" "Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto: 'In God is our trust.'"

In this season of Advent, we wait expectantly for the light of Christ. Let us look for it in our responses to the world's challenges. 

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