Fear of the Lord

Today we watched part one of a video series by Fr. Ron Rolheiser the "Many Faces of Fear: Exploring the Roots of Religious Fear"  I liked this quote from the end of the video where Fr. Ron explains what we fear most as we approach God:  "Fear that God is not as understanding and compassionate as we are. Fear that God is not a big-hearted as we are."

"Fear that God is not as understanding and compassionate as we are. Fear that God is not a big-hearted as we are. Fear that God does not read the heart and cannot tell the difference between wound and coldness, immaturity and sin. Fear that God gives us only one chance and cannot bear any missteps and infidelities. Fear that God doesn’t respect our humanity, that God created us in one way but wants us to live in another way in order to be saved. Fear that God is threatened by our achievements, like a petty tyrant. Fear that God is threatened by our doubts and questions, like an insecure leader. Fear that God cannot stand up to the intellectual and cultural scrutiny of our world but somehow needs be segregated and protected like an over-pious novice. Fear that God is less interested in our lives than we are and less solicitous for our salvation and that of our loved ones than we are. And, not least, fear that God is as helpless before our moral helplessness as we are.

 

An excerpt from Fr. Ron Rolheiser's blog.
I wrote this poem when I was frustrated with the struggle to believe in Jesus even after He's been so good to me, so wonderful.