FEAR OF THE LORD

As I am working on my paper for the upcoming Asia Society for Frontier Mission’s annual gathering in Bali (which I won’t be able to attend in person), I have decided to highlight a section of my paper. This year’s theme centers around the concept of imago dei, mutuality, the dignity of humanity, etc as they relate to the frontiers in mission. This year’s gathering is a continuation of last year’s focus.

Here, I would like to weave the well-known verse, “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” How to live well or wisely with others has been a timeless biblical tradition and focus. Fear of God does not equate with the well-accepted but short-sighted notion that we will somehow get punished if we fail to do good. Thus, the narrative of we’d better “fear” God and its consequences of what God will do to punish us out of God’s perfect justice. The five “wisdom” literature in the Scripture, in my opinion, points to the notion that wisdom is knowledge deepened or seasoned in love. Wisdom has nothing to do with how modern people would equate to intellectual knowledge. Rather it is how to live well with others by orienting our hearts in fear of the Lord. Thus, wisdom can be summarized as how to love God, myself, and others well.

Rolheiser’s words are worth pondering with our missiological lens especially as we consider the topics of “imago dei,” “mutuality,” or just being human beings as fellow poiema (God’s magnificent poetry in motion). I quote him heavily below as they are packed with highly relevant insight into today’s world. And I will try to deduce my reflecting summary.

G. K. Chesterton once suggested that “the greatest of all illusions is the illusion of familiarity.” Familiarity is also the death of respect, wonder, and awe. When our minds, hearts, and imaginations are no longer poised for surprise and astonishment, then we no longer have a healthy fear of God or indeed of each other, which means living in such a way that nothing becomes too familiar to us.

By extension, to live in fear of God means that we live before God and the rest of reality in such a way that there is never contempt within us. We take nothing for granted, everything as a gift. We have respect. We are always poised for surprise before the mystery of God, others, and ourselves.

To fear God is also, as Michael Buckley puts it, to let God “contradict the programs and expectations of human beings in order to fulfill human desires and human freedom at a much deeper level than subjectivity would have measured out in its projections.” To fear God means to set aside our own expectations, needs, and imaginings and let God set the agenda and define the limits. 

A healthy fear of God brings with it a sense that must flow over into our actions, that our freedom is not unconditional but conscienced. When we fear God, we fear misusing our freedom, not because we fear God’s punishment if we do wrong, but because we fear hurting others, being idolatrous, or feeling self-righteous.

To live in holy fear of God means bringing one’s freedom under the Lordship of God. One lives in holy fear of God when one is aware that freedom is a gift given us for love and that, outside its continual genuflection before a God beyond itself, freedom very quickly becomes a god unto itself and leaves in its wake a trail of violation, idolatry, and self-inflation.

Lastly, a healthy fear of God means living in genuine humility.

The humblest person you know is not the person who lives a timid life but the person who lives a life that constantly acknowledges its interconnectedness and its radical incarnate character.

(All italicized are mine.)

I wish I could unpack all of my reflections based on Rolheiser’s reflection. A few things to highlight are as follows.

Fear of God requires a two-pronged posture: letting God be God and deep concern for others. And that there is no separation between the two. The first has to do with our penchant for control and certainty, undesirous of surprises and mystery. Upon further and honest reflection, we know having a sense of control and certainty is an illusion because reality is full of surprises and mystery. In this vein, it is worth examining whether the current missions effort has been operating out of the fear of God, allowing ample room for surprises and mystery and being honest with our control and certainty.

The second concerns our sinful human ability and capacity to compare and judge. Fear of God forces us to show respect and believe in all humanity's dignity. How do we live and behave in such a way that there is never contempt toward others but respect, awe, and “everything (and everyone) as a gift?” Many human atrocities throughout history have to do with how people loved themselves so wrongly (and twistedly) to the point they had to either get rid of others or subject others under them. This disease is exactly the opposite of Jesus’ teaching of “love your neighbor as yourself.”

Fear of God in essence relates to our use of freedom. Our freedom has its designed limit and boundary: “Freedom is a gift given us for love.” Apostle Paul’s warning and teaching to use our freedom to serve others is consistent with the idea that freedom’s goal is to love. In short, we are to use our freedom to love others well which is congruous to the Great Commandment of loving our neighbors as ourselves.

Lastly, the idea of “interconnectedness and its radical incarnate character” has deep and far-reaching implications in this year’s ASFM and beyond. Which leads me to the next section. . .