The Willson Lectureship was established in 1967 by Dr. and Mrs. J.M. Willson of Floydada, Texas. Each year, ESR Seeks to bring to campus an engaging personality who will further stimulate the community's theological reflection and pursuit of truth.

Margaret Zipse Kornfeld

Faithful Living in Fearful Times

Today our country is being poisoned by fear - and our fear of fear.

Fear is the ammunition of terrorists: Because of terrorist acts people are so frightened about the future that they do not live in the present. And, in response, fear has been used as a manipulation to make a case for war. Our government, in seeking to protect citizens from terrorists, has also caused many to be frightened of their neighbors. These "scapegoat neighbors" now live in their own fear of false accusations, detention and the projections of others.

Wars and rumors of wars have turned attention away from other frightening realities: unemployment, poverty and other inequalities, inadequate health care, poor schools, our threatened environment, compassionless citizenry. Middleclass, middle-aged people are afraid that their pensions won't be safe. Poor people have already gone through their "entitlements." In the U.S. millions live in fear of future insecurity. Millions live in fear because of present unexpected economic woes and their consequences.

Response to fear differs. Some people run from it, bury it, deny it -and the fear is transformed into depression or rage. Others disconnect from it -they 're not afraid of war. For them war is a "desert storm" TV movie. The fright in their life is once removed -like reality TV. Some are ashamed of their fears. Others want to talk about them. Some want to DO SOMETHING.

Sensible people ask: What are realistic fears and unrealistic fears? How can we create solutions that are not as frightening as "the problem" itself?

There is an urgent need for faith communities to become safe places where people can:

• Understand and face their fears
• Experience courage and hope
• Find practical help with their very real, scary problems
• Be supported as they act and make a difference

Unless faith communities become hospitable havens where members can experience, understand and address their fears, frightened members will not be comforted. Communities that are healing places accept and respect the differences of their members, and also recognize when their fears of "the other " blind them from true community. Congregations are urged to not only to do pastoral care but to challenge the political and social institutions that manipulate through fear. They try to put into action the "perfect love that casts out fear."

Fear can highjack us and flood us with toxins -it is also a primal signal when there is a threat to our security. Because of the fight or flight response, people adapt differently to fear. We will examine healing from the toxicity of fear that can come through healing community. My actual experience in an AIDS group will be used to show how this can happen in community.

Fear can lead to experiences of helplessness, disconnection and cynicism. The fear of terrorists that has been fanned is an incentive to encourage the "fight against terrorism." It may also be contributing to numbness and the inability to act -not only politically, but also in our personal lives. The biblical injunction "Perfect love casts out fear " and the instruction to "love your enemies" is a huge demand when feeling terrified. We will explore how small loving actions create energy that can begin to change stagnation and disengagement. We may not always be able to feel "perfect love" in the face of fear, but communities of faith must support the effort to love our enemies when we cannot define who they are.

This year's lecturer:

Margaret Zipse Kornfeld is a faculty member of Blanton-Peale Institute's graduate residency program. A teacher of pastoral counseling at Union Theological Seminary and Fordham University, Dr. Kornfeld is the past President of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors and a certified marriage and family therapist. She is a minister of the American Baptist Churches of the U.S.A. and has been a pastoral psychotherapist for 30 years. She is also a consultant to the Imam's Council of New York City as they begin to develop programs of care, counseling and healing networks in the Muslim community.

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