Cast Out Fear

Cast Out Fear

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love cast out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.” 1 John 4:18

Fear is the opposite of love, not hate. Behind the mask of hate is a freighted face. Perhaps this is one reason why participants at organized rallies of labeled hate groups, such as the KKK and various Neo-Nazi sects, are always seen wearing facial covering. Yes, they are afraid of being identified and found out for their ideology- which denotes shame- and furthermore most seem simply afraid. Hate groups have their existence due to a fear of the unknown; the unknown stranger, foreigner, religion, identity… This quickly snowballs into scapegoating all of the members’ perceived problems onto that targeted group of people.

Education, exposure, getting to know someone, forming relationships are potential ways of overcoming fear of a particular kind of person. One of my current heroes is Daryl Davis, who in my opinion is the greatest boogie-woogie style piano player alive but that is not why he is a hero of mine. Mr. Davis is a hero of mine because of a great number of white sheets hanging up in his closet. Daryl is African-American; so no doubt one is surprised to learn he owns several Klu Klux Klan robes. These symbols of prejudice were turned over to him by men whom after getting to know Daryl no longer wanted to be members of the KKK, including the former ‘Imperial Wizard’ Roger Kelly. The words: courage, and boldness don’t seem to do Daryl justice. Mr. Davis is an agent of transformative grace! His willingness to pursue friendships with White supremacists is bizarre in our divided culture yet apparently fruitful.

“What I have come to find to be the greatest and most effective and successful weapon that we can use, known to man, to combat such adversaries as ignorance, racism, hatred, violence, is also the least expensive weapon, and the one that is the least used by Americans. That weapon is called communication.” — Daryl Davis, "Klan We Talk?", TEDxCapeMay, 9 January 2018.

Daryl Davis’ testimony sounds outlandish and goes against survival instincts which gives his mission much in common with those of the Bible’s prophets. Faith, not fear, fuels Mr. Davis’ activism. God has gifted this blues piano player with a striking ability to transform enemies into friends! Mr. Davis realizes that each member of the KKK he meets is also a complexed person; usually with a family, job, hobbies, etc. By getting to know the person for who they are beyond their racist views Daryl forges friendships. Daryl’s improv chops come in handy as he enters into conversations with KKK members he listens for ways he can begin to start getting them to question how they have always been taught to think. Over a lot of time and meals together sometimes this leads to dramatic change in the man’s life and that of the whole household.

Hate breeds hate, it is learned and passed down. Hence breaking the cycle of ignorance is key. This is something Adrianne Black has powerfully illustrated. Born Derek Roland Black, one time heir to the White Supremacist group Stormfront, she began to systematical debunk her learned beliefs by sharing several Shabbat Friday dinners with Jewish students in college. In her book, The Klansman’s Son; My Journey from White Nationalism to Anti-Racism she comes out as trans and denounces her prior held racist beliefs. Adrianne Black is an anti-racism advocate.

The profound examples of Mr. Daivs and Ms. Black give us a template to follow in casting out fear. Both stories involve an openness to listen and question, vulnerability, the courage to talk with those who hold radically different worldviews than us, the importance of sharing a meal together, the willingness to change…

Do you have a friend with a totally different world view than you? If not could you try to make one? Have you ever changed pre-conceived notions based on new experiences? What are ways the church can model these types of relationships?

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Are you interested in diving deeper into how to witness an alternative to White Christian Nationalism? Contact Pastor Brian (dierolfbrian@gmail.com) to register for the upcoming book study: Building Beloved Community; The Courage to Love in the Face of Tyranny.