Fear and Respect

Norman Jameson is editor of the North Carolina Baptist Biblical Recorder. He recently wrote about the Christian responsibility to respect the president of the United States. His words have inspired me to write this note about our call to reject fear in favor of respect.

I don't normally talk about secular politics here at New Hope, because I don’t believe it is as important as our call to love one another and serve Christ in our everyday lives. But I am following the lead of a Baptist editor because in the past couple of weeks there has been some hateful talk about the president. We ought to reject it and teach our children to respect the president.

Can you remember the days when people used to say to a child, "You could grow up to be president?" Jameson says, “We all knew the president held the best interests of the nation at heart and that we, as school children, were important to the nation -- and that from our ranks would one day rise the person to take his place. “

The president’s speech to school children encouraged them to stay in school, set personal goals and make a difference in society. Conspiracy theorists took the simple -- and not unique, since two recent Republican presidents also addressed nationwide groups of schoolchildren -- fact that the president was going to speak directly to students to incite fears that he had sinister intentions.

This is not a time for fear mongering. The Bible says in 1 John 4:18, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” Love is showing respect where respect is due. It casts out the fear that always leads to disrespecting and refusing to listen. Let’s teach our children to respect those who are in authority and all people, even when we disagree with them.

I have read President Obama’s whole speech given at a back-to-school event in Arlington, VA on September 8. Here are the closing words of it.

“So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don’t let us down – don’t let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it. Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.”

In those words of encouragement there is nothing to fear and plenty to respect.