At the onset of World War II, Franklin Delano Roosevelt told the nation that "we have nothing to fear but fear itself." Fear, individually and collectively can cripple us by preventing us from moving into the future with confidence and conviction. If we are afraid of our boss, we may not do all that we think is right at work. If we are afraid of a friend's disapproval, we may not be honest when we disagree. When we are afraid of an enemy, we may surrender when we could prevail.

I have spent many a moment, sometimes hundreds or thousands of them strung together, living in fear. I have lived in fear of teachers, coaches, parents, siblings and friends - just about everyone. My fear of rejection has often kept me from being honest about my own wants and needs, and led me to accommodate others. In the end, I usually wind up resenting others for "making me" honor them before myself. But it was my choice.

In today's Gospel reading Jesus challenges his followers to live free of fear - or, more accurately, he challenges them to fear nothing but separation from God. "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul, rather be afraid of the one who can kill both soul and body."

I don't know about you, but I'm generally afraid of anyone who can kill my body. I mean, that fear is what ensures that I obey traffic lights and that I follow my doctor's advice. But I don't start with just fearing those who can kill the body. I fear people who can hurt my feelings or bruise my ego. I mean, if I'm afraid to tell someone the truth because he or she might not like me, how much more am I going to be afraid of someone or something that can kill me?

We may have nothing to fear but fear itself, but there are still a lot of scary things out there. Jesus reminds us that none of them have power over our souls - the metaphor, if nothing else, for our capacity for spiritual happiness and contentment. After all, if we are happily connected to the infinite love of God, what is anything else going to do to us that is so bad? Kill us? If God's love last forever, that's just a new beginning. Reject us? Aw, come on. Is mere rejection really something to be afraid of?

While this all sounds good and right, I still let fear control me - not just the fear of death, but the fear of small, psychological and emotional pain. Jesus does not promise us a future without pain, but he does promise us a future without fear if we can remain connected to him. Jesus tells us that the love of God is stronger and more reliable than any of the forces or people we fear can harm us. If we are to fear anything, as this reading suggests, it should be the loss of that love.

Bill Peatman writes from Napa. He may be reached at bptidings@yahoo.com.