Greetings, Inspired Seekers:

Doesn't it sometimes feel as if we are living in an age of anxiety? We wake up anxious about the day and what it will bring and we go to bed worried about much the same. Heck, some of us even worry about – and for – weeks on end. What a cycle! There are nights when anxiety even plagues our dreams like a Halloween movie and all of its sequels.

And yet, we are people of many faiths; and, in every faith, we are reminded not to fear. In the Biblical tradition, “Do not be afraid” is repeated 150 times. In the Old Testament, Moses fears the journey. In the Buddhist tradition, Gautama was fearful as he ventured out on the journey that would transform him into his Buddhahood.

What do all of these spiritual leaders and their traditions have in common? Well, they all realized that the higher the leader, the higher the anxiety. And, through faith, they all overcame their fear and moved ahead to do great things and lead others into new spaces. Leaders who cannot hold anxiety in a safe and faith-full place will, probably, never be able to lead us into new frontiers – spiritual or otherwise.

Faith, which carries us through the scary places, is formed in that small, inner “yes space,” that place of courage that flows from faith, that allows us and pushes us to say yes instead of no. It is that faith that allows us to do one scary thing each day in order to grow.

To be afraid of fear is to be paralyzed by its power over us. To be afraid of fear is to put limits on our faith. Now, of course, some fear is helpful – there is no doubt. But, let's be clear about that which frees us and that which freezes us.

Once we see the scary movie, we do not need the sequel – we can move on and rewrite the script!

Grace, Always Yours,
Reverend Deborah

Question of the Month: If you could commit to doing one thing a day that scares you, how would your life change?

The Reverend Dr. Deborah Darlington provides spiritual companionship to people of all belief systems and celebrates the rites of passage that they honor. She can be reached at GraceMatters@TheSpaceForGrace.com or at 215 260 1611.