Jesus commands us to love our neighbors. So why are so many Christians taught to fear their neighbors? God instructs us to welcome strangers; we are not to withhold hospitality or help from anyone in need. So why do we fear strangers, especially those needing hospitality, afraid that their presence may threaten what we have? Jesus taught us to love our enemies; we are to pray for those who actively harm us.
Instead, we create enemies in our minds, seeing anyone who thinks, believes, looks, or lives differently from us as dangerous, a threat to our way of living. The Christian community exists to declare and demonstrate God’s love and to follow Jesus in practicing love over fear, even in unsafe times and places. It’s time to reclaim our brave fear of God and risk transformative love for the sake of our neighbors, the strangers among us, and our enemies.
This series, based on Fearing Bravely: Risking Love for Our Neighbors, Strangers, and Enemies by Catherine McNiel, does just that.
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