TO THE EDITOR:

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Fear is a great motivator, but it is not great at helping us to make wise, unity building, decisions.

No! Fear separates us. It causes us to justify acts that are not built upon our trying to understand one another or on the giving of each other grace. Rather, fear makes us believe that we must find ways force our will, our beliefs, our knowing what is right, upon others.

Fear makes us say, “In normal times I would not respond to others in this way, but these are not ordinary times!” or to say, “Normally I would not condone others whom are acting in a particular way, but since they are agreeing with me and what I believe needs to be done, in this instance, it is not only OK for them to act in that way but it is needed.” Or we somehow enlist the idea that God is for us and is therefore using these “unsavory” behaviors as a way to carrying out His will.

As for me, one who believes in God, and who claims Jesus Christ to be his Lord and Savior, I believe fear, even that which is based on wanting to keep others from doing what I believe to be wrong, make me a prisoner onto myself and makes me believe that I must know what is best and true for others, as opposed to my entrusting others, myself, and our nation, fully into the hands of God.

This is not about calling what I believe to be right, “wrong” or wrong “right.” This is about learning not to act out of fear, but in love. It is about my coming to understand that love that produces acts in me that are based on fear is not godly, but something that destroys the very relationships I claim to value.

Curtis Hed,

Becker, MN