“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” —- Franklin D. Roosevelt
The preceding statement was made by Franklin D. Roosevelt when he was running against Herbert Hoover, the incumbent Republican president, in 1932. This statement of optimism, along with the fact that Herbert Hoover was being blamed for the great economic collapse that was primarily the cause of the banking institutions, was the most compelling reason why Roosevelt won the presidential election. In my column today, I want to consider the fear factor and how it is having an effect on, arguably, every one of us to some aspect or degree. Fear that is commonly defined as “the emotion or condition of being afraid” can come in many areas. I have known men who were as masculine as they came and did not seem to fear anything. One in particular was my father who by all indication had no fear of man or beast. He was not even bothered by the fact that a snake had managed to crawl into his house that he had spotted a few times, but was unable to catch, kill, or remove it. However, he was petrified at the sight of a mouse. Then there was this fellow who use to work for my father named Oscar B. who did not seem to have a fear of anything except a frog. Evidently, somewhere in his life he had acquired this great fear of frogs. The fellows on the job would taunt him with pranks and the exaggerated sighting of a frog. Oscar B. would respond in horror and quickly run in the opposite direction of where they claimed to have seen the frog. The fear of anything, regardless of how seemingly harmless it might be to others, can truly be terrifying to those with the phobia. There are so many kinds of phobias and they are far too numerous to address in this column. We are going to concentrate our concern today on five that we believe are common and more relevant to our locale and readers of this newspaper.
The Fear of Failing
I am convinced that one of the most common fears that many grapple within our locale or any area is the fear of failing. This phobia is perhaps at the root of why many are reluctant to initiate new ideas and even business ventures. Regrettably, this fear is why so many people today, especially millennials, have chosen not to marry, but to cohabitate in unions that violate the biblical mandate (see Hebrews 13:4).
The Fear of Rejection
This is a common fear that affects and grips many of our young people, starting as early as the kindergarten stage and extending through the young adult period. Many people join or are lured or pressured into bad company and groups because of the fear of rejection that is a type of peer pressure and intimidation. Likewise, many are drawn into bad habits and practices because of the fear of rejection and not being accepted by those who seem to be popular. This phobia has led many down the wrong road that ultimately caused them to join gangs and other groups that were up to no good. Many of the problems that have beset our schools, especially from the middle school level through the high school level, stem from students who are a part of a group of troublemakers who joined because of peer pressure and the fear of rejection.
The Fear of Being
Stopped by A Policeman While Driving
This fear is one that grips the African American community and is especially one with which many of our young men contend. As a loving father of a young African American son, who is twenty-three years old and wears shoulder length dreadlocks, I am naturally concerned for him when and if he is stopped by a policeman. I have given him clear and strict instructions to have the right attitude and a respectful response if stopped by a policeman while driving. Furthermore, I have told him to keep his hands where the cop can see them at all times and to, by no means, make a move to get anything from his pants pocket, glove compartment, or car seat except the officer instructs him to do so. This is a real fear factor that we grapple with and will continue to do so until the tension and contention that exists between the African American community and policemen are judiciously addressed and resolved.
The Fear
of Aging
One of the most common fears that many contend with as they age and reach the age of fifty and beyond is the fear of aging. Growing old or older (that is a better term) is something that we all will experience if we live long enough. The fear of aging is triggered by things like Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other mental or physical challenges that commonly hit many as they age beyond the middle age bracket. The fear of aging is aggravated by the thought in some who do not wish to live alone or be assigned to live in a rest home (what was commonly referred to as an old folk’s home in times past). Also, things like not wanting to be a bother or burden on loved ones, who should not mind shouldering the responsibility of caring for their aging parents, is fueling the fear of aging for many.
The Fear of Dying
In the opinion of most professionals like doctors, psychologists, clergymen, counselors, and etc., the fear of dying is probably the most common phobia in the human race. Unlike all the other creatures, man is uniquely the only one who knows that he is going to die one day. Regardless of how advanced the science, pharmaceutical, and technology fields have become in prolonging human life, the reality of death still looms over our heads. The inevitability of death is arguably the most certain event that awaits all of us. The only thing that can truly remove the fear of death is a genuine faith in God, through believing in the One He sent to overcome it. His name is Jesus Christ and if He delivered me from its dread and grave consequences, He can and will do it for all who come to God through Him as the following passages attest:
“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” John 11:25-26
“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Hebrews 2:14-15
