Since Constantine, the fear factor of Christianity has been employed to keep people in line to help the Church maintain power and control. In the early years of the faith the only ones who could read were the priests, and it would be many generations before the printing press was invented, so the writings of the New Testament weren't readily available to people. They were dependent upon the priests telling them of the contents. This led to abuse of power and skewed interpretation. To some, the words of Jesus were threatening, cold, and utterly frightening. Once the scriptures were made accessible to the broader public, people protested and revolted. They came to read that the faith was a kinder and gentler one than that which had been presented to them. But even now, there is still a residual employment of fear by those in power in order to manipulate and control. While we should fear God in a way that displays awe and respect, we shouldn't let fear be the driving force of what we do in and through our faith. Remember, God didn't send his Son into the world to condemn the world... but to save it.
Readings: Judges 17:1-18:31; John 3:1-21; Psalm 104:1-23; Proverbs 14:20-21
