The beginning of wisdom

IT is often overlooked that back in the early 1950s Richard Nixon had been Dwight Eisenhower’s running mate and served as Vice-President of the United States of America from 1953-1961. It was in 1960 that Nixon lost the race for the White House to John F Kennedy and it is often said that it was Nixon’s appearance in America’s fi rst ever televised presidential debate that cost him the election. In 1969 when Nixon became the 37th President of the United States he was already a seasoned politician desperate to hold the reins of power and, as it turned out, perhaps far too desperate to keep a hold of them.

One of the most telling insights into Nixon’s character is revealed in his oft quoted words, “people” he said, “react to fear, not love; they don’t teach that in Sunday School, but it’s true.” Perhaps, what brought Nixon to his demise was that his power base was built on that premise and if you live by the sword you may die by the sword.

One of the problems that we are facing in public life across the world is that too many of our leaders galvanise their support by stirring up fear of what “the other side” stands for or of what the “opposition” might bring about. The presentation of those fears is usually exaggerated beyond measure and counter-arguments of reassurance are usually so insuffi cient that it leads to the “other side” resorting to the same tactic of describing the fear they have of their opponents.

Once upon a time a common theme from the pulpit was the use of fear. Preachers who claimed to know the inner workings of the boilers of Hell would paint pictures to terrify their congregations. Robert Burns satirised this style of preaching in his classic poem The Holy Fair where he describes the words of the Rev John Russell, who at the time was the minister of the High Church in Kilmarnock: His talk o’ Hell, whare devils dwell, Our vera “sauls does harrow” Wi’ fright that day! A vast, unbottom’d, boundless pit, Fill’d fou o’ lowin brunstane, Whase raging fl ame, an’ scorching heat, Wad melt the hardest whun-stane.

”One of the problems that we are facing in public life across the world is that too many of our leaders galvanise their support by stirring up fear of what “the other side” stands for.

We may think that this was a long time ago, but the sulphurous smell of that kind of theology has lingered and left a distasteful legacy. The idea was that these images would act as a preventative medicine against sin which in turn might drive people into the open arms of Jesus.

What a terrible mistake. People moved by such fear can never be truly free to be all that they could be in the grace of God. The very idea of God as an oppressive force is in itself incongruous. God is Love declares the writer of the First Epistle of John and surely nothing that feeds on fear, malevolence or vindictiveness can be attributed to such pure love. It is the same writer, in the same chapter (1 John 4: 18) who nails this down with perfect precision, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” Front and centre of our delight in the Gospel narrative is that it is the story of God’s love and there is no future in any notion that you can frighten people into a life of faith.

There is a proper understanding of the fear of God which the Bible describes as the beginning of wisdom – this is not the fear that John Russell or Richard Nixon had in mind. This use of the term fear is about having a deep respect, reverence and awe for the power of God. That kind of fear does not cause anyone to be afraid of God, instead that is the kind of fear that leads love. That’s the kind of fear we all have to work on.

This article appears in the February 2021 Issue of Life and Work

Click here to view the article in the magazine.

To view other articles in this issue Click here.

If you would like to view other issues of Life and Work, you can see the full archive here.