Love Expands. Fear Contracts.

        Love expands. Fear contracts.
       Those two simple sentences stood out in an article I read several years ago. With only four words, they express a powerful message that’s remained with me.
          Love expands. Fear contracts.
       Perhaps more than any other time in my life, fear seems to run rampant in our world. Not only are people afraid of the physical danger of the coronavirus, but they also fear what the crisis may mean for them and others financially; how it may impact congregations, schools, and other institutions in the upcoming months; and what long-term consequences it may have.
       Fear does have its place. It is an emotion designed to alert us to possible danger. It causes our adrenalin to increase, which can make us more alert and able to deal with those dangerous situations. Fear, when dealt with properly, can energize us.
       But too often fear does the opposite. Instead of giving us energy, it causes us to contract. We pull into the confines we have constructed in an effort to protect ourselves. We circle the wagons in the hope that living in a small, tight manner will keep us safe.
          Love expands. Fear contracts.
       The Bible contains story after story of individuals who face significant moments of decision or transition and who hear a simple divine message: “Do not fear.” What often follows those words is a reminder of the power of love.
       For me, this is one of the central messages of Easter. The events of Holy Week and Easter morning reveal a God who displays great love. This love involves a willingness to be vulnerable and risk rejection; to care for others in a way that allows their fate to affect one’s own; and to give to others even when there is a real cost to oneself.

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       The Easter story could have been one of fearful contraction. God could have pulled away or even struck back when humanity rejected the loving gift embodied in Jesus. But, at least as I understand it, God’s love expands to show the possibility of new life—even when death threatens to have the final word.
          Love expands. Fear contracts.
       Responding in love can be risky. It makes us vulnerable. It involves opening ourselves to the possibility of being hurt or used or rejected. It calls for action in uncertain times.
       But responding in love also can open us to the surprise of transformation. If we love someone else, we may see that person flourish in new ways. Our investment of love also may bring about a transformation in the larger community—resulting in greater vitality in our family, our congregation, our neighborhood, our world. And loving others may change us, transforming and expanding the way we approach life—even during the most difficult of times.
          Love expands. Fear contracts.
       May that message help us move through the days ahead—days filled with strange and even frightening challenges but days also marked by new life and new beginnings.
                                                                                                                             KP