The Closet Professor

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

—Joshua 1:9

Let’s face it, the world can be a scary place. Fear is the main driving force behind many of the world’s problems, and the fear that manifests as hate is the worst kind of fear. In 1 John 4:18, John writes “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” The LGBTQ+ community faces hate every day. Homophobia has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred, or antipathy, may be based on irrational fear, and may sometimes be related to religious beliefs. While homophobia has been around since antiquity, the term itself has only been around since the 1960s. Just as with homophobia, racism and other negative attitudes often come from fear and insecurity. What makes homophobia and other forms of hate scary for those on the receiving end is that the fear associated with hatred is often illogical.

People with fear that manifests into hate are, in their minds, like a trapped animal who is absolutely desperate to escape and will be ready to fight viciously. Fear and hated are also derived from ignorance. People do not want to understand those who are different from them. They are insecure in their own self-worth and therefore lash out against others. Fear is a powerful thing, but Christ tells us that fear is devoid of faith. However, faith can be strengthened with courage. Psalm 31:24 says, “Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord.”

The fourth chapter of the Gospel of Mark tells the story of Jesus teaching near the sea. It contains the Parable of the Sower in which Jesus talks about how the seeds of truth in the gospels will grow in the right hands, but he says in the wrong hands it can grow into hatred. In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus tells of a farmer who sows seed indiscriminately. Some seed falls on the path (wayside) with no soil, some on rocky ground with little soil, some on soil which contains thorns, and some on good soil. In the first case, the seed is taken away; in the second and third soils, the seed fails to produce a crop; but when it falls on good soil, it grows and yields thirty-, sixty-, or a hundred-fold. In Mark 4:15, Jesus says, “And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.” When the teachings of Christ are used to harm others, they spread hatred, which causes people to turn away from God, which is exactly what Satan wants.

Later in day, after Jesus taught these parables by the sea, He and His disciples took a boat to cross the sea, but a great storm arose. Jesus is asleep during the storm and seems unworried. In Mark 4:38, his disciples wake him and ask, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” The passage continues in Mark 4-39-40 to say that after they had woken Jesus, “Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, ‘Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?’” Fear is a lack of faith in God. Deuteronomy 31:6 says, “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” 

The hate manifested by fear uses religion to cause harm and often drives people away from God. However, if instead of being turned away from religion because of hate, courage and faith can motivate us to combat the hatred that is present in all religions. As God says in Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” God gives us hope that we can one day conquer the hatred in the world. The ancient Persian religion of Zoroastrianism believes that at the end of time, the great battle between good and evil will end with the triumph of good. Christianity believes the same thing, but we believe that good wins the battle against evil every day as our faith and love for God grows within us. Our faith and love in God gives us the courage to love others and to work to make the world a better place.