House of Love, House of Fear

The days roll in and out, and time is like the ocean. But when fear overtakes me, I see myself as separate from the flow of life. There are so many reasons for fear, and each one of us must observe and learn how and when fear seeps in.

I was reading in a book by Henri Nouwen that in the Gospel the most frequent phrase we hear is, “Do not be afraid.” Nouwen reminds us that the invitation of the Spirit is to move out of the house of fear and into the house of love. As Nouwen says, “to move out of that place of imprisonment into a place of freedom.”

Where are you living in fear? In my case, as crazy as it sounds, it’s all around where I sleep, since sleeping difficulties in the past have created such anxiety in me. For another person, like my sister, it’s singing. She avoids it, and limits her joy of the experience. For a friend of mine, it’s in intimacy. You know, deep in your heart, where fear is holding you. Bring it out, and live in the house of love.