Fear is our internal guidance system bringing us out of harm’s way.
All sentient creatures have fear. Fear keeps us safe.
But there is fear, and then there is FEAR.
There is a Chinese aphorism that says:
That the birds of worry and anxiety fly above your head, this you cannot change. But that they build their nests in your hair, this you can prevent.
Life can be scary.
Life can be very scary.
Life can be ridiculously scary.
Especially these days.
No question.
But, we aren’t helpless in the face of fear.
All sentient beings live with fear.
Only the delusional would tell you they have no fear.
Humans beings are born with innate fear of two things:
- Fear of falling
- Fear of loud noises
Nonetheless, people seek these sensations by visiting theme parks and New York City. (Why do people ignore their innate GPS? Perhaps they are thinking, “If I bring these fear upon myself, I will be stronger and somehow this makes me more powerful than these fears.”)
I have some simple questions:
Do you stoke the flames of fear in yourself?
Do you cause extra worry?
Do you allow the birds of anxiety to nest in your hair?
We live in a scary time. It feels ever more like the arc is bending and something is going to break and irreparable damage will be done.
We feel fear. It is in the air.
Fear is a natural reaction.
But, let’s not overreact.
I am going to ask us to make some peace with our fear. Instead of our stoking the flames, we can better work at accepting our fears and loving (of which acceptance is a part) our fears.
This past Friday, my colleague Rabbi Rachel Joseph, explained to me that the words, the way I have known the quote, were not accurately the words that the great rabbi said. The original phrase had the verb “to be afraid” in a reflexive conjugation; meaning, “to cause ourselves to be afraid.” The way most people know the phrase changes the verb from hitpael making it easier to sing, but misses the key to staying unafraid – not stoking the flames.
Here is the quote as the Breslover rebbe meant it – and it is what I wish you for in this week:
