Hope over Fear

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself” Franklin D. Roosevelt

We have all heard this famous quote. We were raised in a world that has the capacity to destroy itself in an instant. I never really understood the words uttered by FDR at his first inauguration. It has been re-quoted over and over by people of every political viewpoint. It has been used by both well intentioned people and those who seek to do evil.  These words feel powerful and reassuring, but in such a way that they can be easily manipulated by anyone for any cause of action. We were taught these words, but rarely were made aware of the context in which they were used. In my life, I do not recall ever having an in-depth conversation about what having only fear itself to fear means. But the world is once again at a key juncture in which we must choose between fear and hope. So, as I read an article by David Brooks in the New York Times just now, I realized that the meaning of Roosevelt’s words should have long been clear to me.

Division leads to fear. Fear is vulnerable to authoritarianism. Fear keeps us in our place, paralyzed into complacency. Or fear makes us admire those who are angry and lashing out at others in an effort to further divide us. Fear allows those who hold power to define who we are, while hope allows us to decide who will hold power. That’s why oligarchs, aristocrats, and autocrats want to crush hope and instill fear. I have been learning to play The Beatles song LET IT BE on my keyboard. There is a lyric that resonates at this time with me. Paul sings, “For though they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see. There will be an answer. Let it be.”  Divided we give in to fear. Together we have a chance to see truth.

The meaning of the fear itself quote has been right in front of me my whole life and across all aspects of it. Personal fear inhibits our ability to enjoy life to its fullest. Fear of flying has stopped me from seeing beautiful places that I long to visit. Fear of heights has kept me from standing close enough to the edge of overlooks along the Blue Ridge Parkway to witness the spectacular views in their full context. Fear of poverty has kept me from taking risks that might have improved my ability to provide more abundantly for my family and others.  Fear of not being good enough has limited my desire to play music and sing in front of other people. Fear of the perception of others means that I have never learned to dance.

Over the last two years, I have been making an effort to defeat my personal fears. I have crossed the mile-high swinging bridge at Grandfather Mountain. I have taken guitar lessons and stood on stage at open mic nights playing, singing, failing, and succeeding.  But with each attempt my fear diminishes. Maybe one day I will take to a stage and dance with complete abandon, Mick Jagger fashion.

Public fear has been used to manipulate me, my loved ones, my community, and my country my whole life. It would be dishonest if I said that I had never been manipulated by this type of fear. Shamefully, I have. I have feared people who are different from me in only the most superficial ways. Skin color, hair type, facial features. These fears were instilled in me because the people who held power wanted all of us to be fearful of each other. They wanted us to remain parted so that we could not see the answers. I believe the answer is hope, even as our world is turning away from hope and embracing fear. Powerful men are using fear to re-shape the world order and place us on the precipice of war. And we all know that the next world war will be the last. Fear will ultimately be the driving force behind the complete destruction of humanity, if we allow it.

I will not allow fear to lead me down this path and neither should any of us. The powerful and rich men who drive this fear are short sighted and only concerned with filling their own emptiness with power and material possessions. They will not manipulate us as long as we hold on to hope. Fred Rogers told us to, “always look for the helpers” when we were children. As grown-ups, we must always look for the hopeful to lead us. Those who wield fear over hope do so only to further their own agenda. Donald Trump told David Muir in an interview, The World is an angry place.” Donald Trump is an angry man, but my world is a hopeful place. A place where all we have to fear is fear itself.