Fear imprisons, disheartens, and puts hopelessness at the heart of life. Fear can creep into our lives gradually or arrives without warning – a phone call or an unexpected medical result – and suddenly, fear can strike us like a physical blow. We fear COVID-19 and the future. And if that’s not enough, we worry about being poisoned by genetically modified organisms, spied on by computers, or listened to by Alexa and Siri. Science may have added more healthy years, but it has also added to our fears!

Fear can be so powerful that it can overwhelm everything that normally rules our life. Under fear, people can throw away their hopes and dreams. Fear encourages a defensive mode of life: it builds walls rather than bridges and breeds suspicion. Fear may make us avoid doing what is right; we may shy away from challenges or opportunities.

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