|
We need to help each other cope with fear |
|
|
|
Bruce Wilkinson writes, in his popular
little book Prayer of Jabez, "that he was in a situation
where all he could do was to close his eyes and pray, ‘Lord, I can’t
cope with this today. Please chase evil away from me.’" I feel
like that some days. Coping takes a lot of energy. Daily we read and
hear about terrorist threats—both possible and real—against people
in our nation and around the world. Persons from our churches are
engaged in military actions, and we worry about their safety. Recently,
we have added to these concerns the disturbed individuals that decide to
inflict hoaxes on an already nervous and frightened people. Some days it
just seems like too much to handle.
We feel at times that, if we could only go back a few months and just worry about the economy or a dozen other problems that now seem simpler, life would be better. How do we stay focused in our lives? I believe this is where the church can perform its most effective ministry. But we have to be willing to share our feelings and ideas with one another in order to minister to people trying to cope with their fears and concerns. Too often, people don’t name the things that are troubling them. Soon they may take their frustration out on their families or co-workers. Discussion of an issue at a church meeting can get blown way out of proportion to the real importance of the subject being discussed. Someone told me that this is called transference. That is, we take out our frustration on something or someone that is totally unrelated to what we are upset about. Some pastors have told me that they are experiencing an increase in counseling sessions with members. Many of these problems have their origin our members’ inability to cope with the dramatic events taking place around us in our nation. I encourage congregations to develop ways for people to share their feelings and ideas more with another. Maybe it means taking more time at the beginning of regular meetings for people to be in prayer and conversation about what is happening to them. Some of us face the loss of our jobs, fear of anthrax at work, or children who cannot cope with their fears after watching television pictures. We all wonder where the war of terrorism will lead next. We need to acknowledge that these are important issues for the church to talk about and also to pray about. I am also concerned about our pastors who—while they are called to offer caring and compassionate ministry with others—are also dealing with the same concerns in their own lives. Who of us does not still feel sorrow when we hear the stories of families struggling to deal with loss of loved ones from 9.11 events? I encourage congregations to offer support and prayers for one another and for those caught in the hands of war. I encourage congregations to offer ways to have conversations with their Islamic brothers and sisters. I encourage congregations to take the time to deal with these issues rather than acting as if nothing has changed, rather than holding our meetings as usual as if nothing is happening around us. We must "be there" for one another when we are hurting. That is what the ministry of the church is all about. So let’s do it. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said a long time ago, "The will of God will not take us when the will of God will not keep us." |