Living Past Fear
May 6th, 2008 by ljkim
It always amazes me when pop culture gets the Bible right: there’s a scene in the sci-fi series Firefly when Summer Glau’s character sees someone reading a Bible before a major catastrophe; she says, “It says…don’t be afraid. What you’re reading: that’s what it says…” And if it’s a Bible he’s reading, it does…at least a few dozen times. A more real-life character, Patrick Stewart, talking about his real life to Charlie Rose said that the one big challenge he faced as a classical actor was getting over fear… Fear of failure, to feel like he deserved to be in a position of greatness… ‘Because,’ he said, ‘no one can play these roles and do these things unless he had that kind of confidence…’ (paraphrase).
He points out an important truth: Great acting (as well as great living) requires you to get over your fears. I used to say “fearlessness” but “fearless” implies that you were never afraid – but what the Bible talks about (whenever it says “fear not”) implies you were afraid, the situation may inspire fear, but you were somehow able to move past it to feel it no more. This isn’t self-help mumbo jumbo, professional athletes do this all the time. Athletes can’t play well when they’re fearful – they have to psyche themselves up for the game and get past their fears and doubts. The same goes for you in…pretty much all of life.
Now most people don’t realize it, but it’s quite normal to go through a typical work/school week with a pit in the bottom of your stomach… We live on a cocktail of adrenaline, guilt, and a vague sense of insecurity topped off with some pride to make us feel better. It’s what’s behind our anger, unspoken shame, dislike of people, etc… And all this is quite normal. Like actors who are too scared of the audience to be compelling, or athletes who buckle under the pressure of an important game, we wind up just going thru the motions of life instead of really living it. Fortunately for us, God has something better in mind…
[About the photo: just me and my shadow]
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