Courage in a Culture of Fear

How the truth of Christianity is based in compassionate courage

Definition of how Fear is used in Marketing:

The fear appeal in marketing is simply a strategy that is intended to scare the audience by describing a threat to them and motivating them to purchase a product or contribute to the cause. The fear appeal evokes people to feel that they are taking a risk if they don’t buy what you’re offering.

Definition of how Fear is used in Politics:

“A large part of politics is getting people to think about things as part of a group,” says Christopher Federico, PhD, professor of political science and psychology at the University of Minnesota. Politicians using this strategy must first show that they (or their party) are best suited to address a specific issue. Once that is established, making people scared about that issue can cause them to seek comfort by joining the ranks of the group perceived as most capable.

Of course, we know that when it comes to the news, the old saying goes that if it bleeds it reads. Not being fearful or anxious, taking courage and being courageous, are mentioned 114 times combined in the Old and New Testaments.

There was an old movie from 2003 called ‘Bowling for Columbine.’ It was a Michael Moorer film, and regardless of what you may think of Michael Moorer, I suggest you watch the movie. It came out and was focused on the Columbine Shootings and gun violence in the US.

I figured I’d be watching a liberal argument for gun control (not necessarily a bad thing), there was some of that, but what was interesting was that it was more about how fear is used and how it effects us. The heart of the violence in this country, he opinions, is in the culture of fear that is cultivated in the US.

The director goes to Canada, to a neighborhood where people leave their doors open. He points out that Canada has the same access to heavy metal rock and violent video games that were being blamed for Columbine at that time. They also own guns, hunt and all of that, yet have only a fraction of violent deaths.

The point of the movie that really got me was when we are shown a newscast from Canada and one from the US and the differences are stark, the Canadian broadcast was focused on facts and delivered calmly and matter of factly, the US broadcast, and even more so today, was laced with fear and anxiety.

If you’re a Christian and you read the Holy Bible, take note that 114 times God tells us to take courage, to not be fearful, to not be anxious. Who are we going to believe, God or marketers, God or politicians, God or the media?

“So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Todays trouble is enough for today.” This is what Jesus tells us in Matthew 6, to not worry, but we worry. What causes many of our worries can be hard to overcome? When health fails us, when hard times come upon us. These are the times for courage, the times to seek Christ in the here and now, placing tomorrow in His hands.

Unfortunately, this world assaults us with manufactured worries and what are these worries? Broken down, they amount to the opinions of man, presentation for manipulation, what is at the heart of this manipulation is money. Remember, “if it bleeds it reads” and the more we read and listen the more money is made, the more we are given what we now crave, fear.

This fear amounts to the fear of man, which the Bible tells us is a snare, and once we are in it, it’s a struggle to get out of. But we can can get out of it, by choosing the courage to live for Christ. It takes courage to live for Christ, because to live for Christ means to deny ourselves and allow God to grow within us. It takes courage to drop to our knees and seek God for His purposes and not our own, we make requests of God and He hears them and knows what we need, but one of the most courageous lines to pray is from the Lords prayer, “Thy will be done.”

With the courage to pray, “Thy will be done” comes great peace; great contentment. It does not guarantee we will not face what this world dishes out, but it strengthens our walk through it. The courage to follow Christ, to walk in His ways is an ongoing process of self-evaluation, self-denial, and constant struggle, even Jesus asked His Father to take the Cup of Suffering from Him, but he had the courage to yield to the will of His Father.

That courage to face the cross was love, pure love, and pure love is sacrifice and sacrifice takes courage.