Fear, Faith and the Proper Perspective: Christians and Catastrophe

Update: Hey, Dr. Mohler is making the same argument today that I made on the September 2nd. Read is article: FIRST-PERSON: Nineveh, New Orleans, & the City of Man. All in all I think that my article was not too bad.

For the last three days I have seen a rise in the concern and anxiety of many people in this country, people I know and people I see on the television and at the gas stations. While I do expect such fear on the part of those whose relationship to God is less than that of a believer’s, I am somewhat aghast at the seeming doom and gloom that has gripped many of my fellow believers.

Many people are worrying about gas prices and the state of the economy. Other people are mightily concerned about various hurricane aftermath issues. Yes, I have heard many people rightly distress about this situation. Many have said that New Orleans will be utterly abandoned and never rebuilt. People on the far left are blaming global warming and people on the far right are warning about the opening of apocalyptic seals.

While I do not want to belittle the current situation along the Gulf Coast and in the rest of the country, I do wish to put events into their proper perspective. I would also like to put these matters into their Biblical perspective. It behooves us to do so.

First, while the destruction of a city is a horrible event, it is not an event that rarely occurs. In fact, numerous small and large cities have been destroyed across history and continents by man (wars and bombings) and by nature (tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, mud slides, etc.)

Here is a brief list:

- South East Asia by a tsunami in late 2004. In fact, much of Southeast Asia and India are frequently devastated by storms and floods. The substandard housing and poverty stricken populace makes the disasters that more devastating.

- Financial District of Manhattan was devastated on 9/11 by Islamic terrorists.

- Sarajevo by war in 1995

- Mexico City was devastated by an earthquake in 1985 in which 25,000 people died.

- Beirut by Civil War in the 1980s.

- Berlin, Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the Allies in 1945

- Much of London was destroyed by the Germany during the Battle of Britain.

- San Francisco as destroyed by an earthquake in 1906.

- Atlanta, Richmond and most of the Southern United States in the 1860s by Civil War.

- Washington D.C. was destroyed by the British during the War of 1812.

- Rome has been destroyed numerous times by fire and war.

- Pompeii and Herculaneum were destroyed by Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE.

- Jerusalem has been destroyed numerous times over the course of history.

- Sodom and Gomorrah by the Lord God.

- Babylon and Nineveh have been destroyed numerous times.

And these are just the disasters I could think of off the top of my head. More thorough research would undoubtedly yield hundreds if not thousands such destructions.

Again, I do not want to diminish recent events, I simply want to put them in their proper historical perspective and, more importantly, ease concerns.

Second, there are many people who are concerned about the price of gas and the state of the economy.

There are several points to be made about the gas issue:

A) Relatively speaking, the price of gas has been much, MUCH worse than it is right now.
B) The same economists that predicted the current increase in gas prices have also rightly predicted that the gas bubble will burst and prices will drop dramatically.
C) In the short term, we can get oil from other countries. We have enough clout around the world that we will be able to get the needed oil.
D) Milk is MUCH more expensive than gas right now. For the last year the price of milk has sky-rocketed. Gas has only now reached the level of the price of milk. Now I drink far more milk than use gas to drive. I’ve been paying through the nose this past year on milk and I haven’t complained. Well, that’s not completely true: I complain about milk when someone complains about gas.
E) For the past five years we have been “suffering” from deflation. This means that the price of most goods and services has been dropping. Yes, we have been able to buy more for less these past five years. Therefore, we shouldn’t complain when milk and gas (and bottled water) goes up.


There are several points to be made about the economy:

A) Our economy is in good shape.
B) If our economy did not destroy itself because of 9/11 then I doubt this natural disaster will kill us.
C) The natural state of the economy is that it continues to grow. In all capitalist systems, the economy continues to grow and improve. Even in the worst recessions and depressions, a look at the overall trend of the market shows that capitalistic economies will always economically improve.
D) Every natural and man-made disaster that has befallen our country has been followed by a boom in the economy. Perhaps the worst disaster that ever befell our nation was the American Civil War. Half the country was destroyed. New Orleans, Atlanta, Richmond and many other major cities were all destroyed. However, this dismal period was quickly followed by the greatest expansion of economic growth and greatest rise in standard of living than any period in our history. From the outset our nation was one of phenomenal economic power; we were already had one of the greatest economies in history at our foundation. Following our Civil War, America became the greatest super power the world has ever known and had the greatest economy in history. I am not concerned.

Third, and this is the most important point to be made, Jesus explicitly told us not to worry or be anxious. There is a fundamental reason for this that strikes at the very heart of who we are and who God is.

In his two volume theological masterpiece, The Nature and Destiny of Man, Reinhold Niebuhr writes about anxiety and how it effects our faith and relationship with God. Niebuhr gained his understanding of “fear/anxiety” from Soren Kierkegaard’s work, The Concept of Anxiety. Kierkegaard's idea of anxiety is of the existential dread of man facing his own moral inadequacy - paradox of free will but the inevitability of sin - "man is most free in the discovery that he is not free" - man's achievements contained seeds of won destruction.

Niebuhr argues that man, as a creature whose existence paradoxically combines spirit and matter, can sense his own "finitude and fragility" in the universe. As spirit, man transcends nature and so is free. But as a creature, he is part of nature's order and so is bound. As both free and bound, a person inevitably experiences anxiety - annihilation and meaninglessness threaten all of his hopes, achievements, and affections. In this state of anxiety the Satan tempts man to deny his limitations through prideful assertions of his will that provide an illusion of control and meaning or to violate his freedom through sensuality. Man can only ease his anxiety and pretension through faith in God rather than self, that faith is always imperfect (imperfect faith being, for Niebuhr, the essence of "original sin").

Hear are some Scriptural passages that speak about fear and faith:

Matthew 6:25-34 – “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, [shall he] not much more [clothe] you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day [is] the evil thereof.”

Matthew 10:28-31 – “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.”

Luke 12:4-7 – “And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.”

Luke 12:22-32 – “And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body [is more] than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more [will he clothe] you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

Matthew 14:28-32 – “And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth [his] hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.”

Mark 4:37-40 – “And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?”

Luke 8:23–25 – “But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled [with water], and were in jeopardy. And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.”

1 Peter 3:14 – “But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy [are ye]: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;”

1 John 4:18 – “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”

Rev. 2:10 – “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast [some] of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”

Now, as I said, Jesus told us not to worry, fear, or be anxious. He plainly stated that fear is evidence of a lack of faith. However, while fear is evidence of a lack of faith, I do not believe that being fearful is a sin. Rather, being fearful is the occasion to sin: one could sin or not sin. Regardless, since fear is the opportunity to sin, we should not put ourselves in that opportunity. We are often told by our pastors and leaders to avoid situations in which we might find ourselves tempted to sin. Let’s follow their advice and not fear; “sin is crouching at the door …”

Thus, Jesus tells us not to fear but to have faith. Furthermore, if Jesus, as the God-Man and the Second Adam, is to be our prime example as to how to live and relate to our surroundings, we should take notice that He never feared or worried. The closest He ever came to fear was prior to His arrest while praying in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:44). The word Luke uses to describe Jesus’ state of mind is agonia, agony, anguish, i.e., mental distress. This word only appears here in the New Testament and, therefore, is not the Greek word commonly used to describe fear, phobia. While this is mental distress, it is doubtful whether fear, as explained above, is present and it is certainly true that no sin is committed. While this may have been torment and a mental struggle within the God-Man to face the apex of His mission, Jesus Himself neither feared nor worried. Therefore, neither should we.

In conclusion, while I understand how non-believers can worry and fear the future and the things that go bump in the night, I do not believe that believers should.

The destruction of a city is horrible but is to be expected every now and again in a fallen world. More cities will be destroyed in the future, rest assured.

Our economy is strong and we should not fear a capitalistic doomsday on the near horizon.

Lastly, as believers, we should never fear or worry or be anxious; God is in complete control of our situation and will not fail us. Jesus taught us not to fear and led by His example. Fear is the occasion to sin; we should avoid the occasion to sin.

So fear not, have faith, and put your selves in the proper perspective.