What does it mean for a Christian to act by faith and not fear? In a moment when so much is changing – church’s role in society, declining church attendance and assets, dramatic technological shifts, societal views on sexuality, and more – how can we discern the difference between a faith filled witness to the gospel and someone who merely uses Christian words to mask their fear?

In the face of great change, it can be difficult to accurately discern the difference, which often leads us to cling to traditions, refuse to let go of programs, and place expectations on each other in ways that hinder people and churches as much as they help. I don’t pretend to have all the right answers to all the biggest questions facing Christianity, but I know we won’t find a faithful way forward if we fail to understand the difference between faith and fear.

Faith provides a sure foundation on which trust is built; fear desperately seeks control in the absence of solid ground.

Faith is comfortable with ambiguity; fear craves absolute clarity.

Faith inspires a generative imagination of multiple possibilities; fear is restrictive in search of the one right answer. 

Faith desires constructive solutions; fear fosters destructive impulses.

Faith is calm in the inevitability of doubt; fear breeds anxiety no matter the situation.

Faith encourages us to name the principles we are moving toward; fear encourages us to list the things we stand against.

Faith allows us to admit tensions and incoherence; fear blinds us to our cognitive dissonance.

Faith invites the other to participate; fear requires the other to conform.

Faith thrives on passion; fear cultivates invulnerability.

Faith awakens curiosity; fear craves finality.

Faith has no strings attached; fear is a hair’s breadth from violent force.

Faith remains strong in the face of ridicule; fear demands respectability in all things.

Faith acknowledges harm caused and accepts the inevitability of failure; fear hides in the silence of shame and blames anyone or anything else.

Faith expects both/and answers; fear accepts only either/or. 

Faith is a product of experiencing love; fear is an outgrowth of feeling alone.

Faith comes to life in the process of grief; fear refuses to allow for change.

It is my prayer that we would learn to let go of the fear that encourages us to hold fast to all the wrong things; and instead hold fast only to God’s love for each of us and God’s call that we learn to love one another in the way we have first been loved.