It feels like fear has grabbed hold of the American spirit. Everywhere we turn, we are told to be afraid of “the other” — people who look different, worship differently, vote differently, speak another language, come from another country, or live a life we do not fully understand.
Fear makes us build walls in our hearts before we ever meet a person. Fear makes neighbors look like threats. Fear makes compassion seem dangerous. Fear teaches us to protect ourselves first and ask questions later.
But that is not the spirit God gave us. Scripture says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). That means fear should not be driving our words, our politics, our churches, or the way we treat people. God calls us to think clearly, love deeply, and act with courage.
A sound mind does not mean ignoring danger or pretending the world is simple. It means refusing to let panic, prejudice, and suspicion rule us. It means slowing down long enough to see the image of God in the person we have been taught to fear.
Jesus did not tell us to love only the familiar. He told us to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:31). And when people tried to narrow the definition of “neighbor,” Jesus lifted up the Good Samaritan — the outsider — as the example of mercy (Luke 10:25–37).
God’s Word also reminds us to welcome the stranger: “I was a stranger and you invited me in” (Matthew 25:35). And in Leviticus, God tells His people to treat the foreigner among them as native-born and to love them as themselves (Leviticus 19:34).
So maybe the question for us is not, “Who should I be afraid of?” Maybe the better question is, “Who is God asking me to love with a clear mind and a courageous heart?”
America does not need more fear dressed up as wisdom. We need power that serves, love that listens, and sound minds that refuse to be manipulated by division. Fear may be loud, but it is not Lord. Christ is.
Scripture references: 2 Timothy 1:7; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:25–37; Matthew 25:35; Leviticus 19:34; Deuteronomy 10:19; Hebrews 13:2.
Minister A Francine Green I July 2026