Jesus and the Disinherited, Part 7, March 8, 1959

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Part 7 of Jesus and the Disinherited on fear. Thurman contrasts fear of God versus fear of man. Fear pushed far enough becomes a courage that is destructive, like a light bulb burning out. Fear causes biological changes in the body and he gives the examples of bees and beekeepers. Fear as fight is destructive courage. Fear as flight leads to no escape. Jesus attacked the experience of fear by inviting people into their self worth as children of God, in spite of the stereotypes and judgments of the culture. His grandmother's slave story of the slave preacher, "You are not slaves. You are God's children." Slaves would fill tubs to water to dampen the sound of the meeting. If fear creates biological changes in the body, then wouldn't also courage? 1. Creates a sense of well being in a dangerous situation. 2. Creates inner peace. Quotes (sounds like Emerson, but I can't find the reference), "to walk in the traffic of the world with the independence of solitude." 3. Enables us to more accurately appraise the elements in the environment that have been exaggerated. A gospel that insists on conformity to a category, dogma, or etiquette is not the religion of Jesus. Jesus says the same thing to the poor and the powerful: You are God's child, responsible to God. So be careful how you live.