Unnamed Fear
Pope Benedict talked about an "unnamed fear" this past summer in Sydney at World Youth Day.
High school students, college students, and young adults are not like the stereotypes that exist in our culture. Slaking, disengaged, short-attention-spanned, idle youth is a myth. You all are extremely interested in world and social affairs. Indeed, you worry.
$700 billion for Wall Street. Al Qaeda threatens an "October surprise." $9 trillion deficit. College graduates owe $100,000 each. War on two fronts. Abortions on the rise. Political candidates don't represent Catholic Social Teaching. Disparity between the global have's and have-not's.
These are matters that cause you to lie awake at night. As a college student, I obsessed about national debt and thought constantly about solutions to spending amuck. As engaged as I was, young people today are smarter and much more aware than I was . . . and they worry more. Frankly, I am worried, too.
I normally write about the music industry, but I feel Pope Benedict's "unnamed fear" heavy on my heart.
I love Mark's gospel. It is raw and unpolished and driving. Side note: Do a quick Bible study and see how many times the word "immediately" is used in Mark's gospel. It is fast paced and there are no wasted words. In Mark chapter 5, Jesus drives demons out of a tormented man. He drives them out of the man and into the herd of swine, but he first asked the demons to state their name. Demons try to state Jesus' name. He tells them to shut up. Using a name gives you control and gives you power.
Name it. What's your fear? What's you're biggest fear? Name it and tell Jesus its name. Then let it go.
Tom Booth wrote Little One after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. It was written in the wake of great fear and calls us to find our peace in Jesus. Amen.
