Fear is the great motivational tool of tyrants

Sunday July 19th, Psalm 23: He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod; your staff, they comfort me. Fear is the great motivational tool of tyrants, be they political, religious or gang related. In Anchorage right now Pastor Prevo of the ABT is pushing fear to fight against equal rights. In doing so, he is able to use scripture to justify and promote and incite violence toward others and in the process help maintain some of his perceived power. It is not just the LGBT community that are the victims, it is also his parishioners and the people of Anchorage that find their lives stained by this vitriol. Lest we feel content simply to point the finger at Prevo however, let us first look to self. If we look just below the surface, most will find someone or some group that falls on the spectrum somewhere between dislike and fear. Dislike we can usually deal with. Fear however can easily turn into hostility such as we have in many parts of the world, including our own back yard. Before any military conflict, and sometimes before any election, there is a heightened sense of fear, it is what allows basically good people to justify killing of others or vote against their own self interest. God comes along with, “fear not.” Even if I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, even thought I may have had a good hand in helping to create this valley, even though evil, real or perceived is all around me, even though I go through the darkest deepest places in life, I will fear no evil for God is with me. God does not shield us from the evils of life, but when faceing them, standing up to them, overcoming them, we are never alone. I will fear no evil, for God is by my side.