I was treated for post traumatic stress disorder many years ago. When I read an excerpt of this poem in a Tom Clancy novel, it resonated with me. (This is the excerpt from the book – I can’t find an English translation of the entire thing either online or on paper.)
Fear by Ilya Selvinskiy.
So you think you know the real meaning of fear?
Yeah, you think you do know, but I doubt it.
When you sit in a shelter with bombs falling all over.
And the houses around you are burning like torches.
I agree that you experience horror and fright
For such moments are dreadful, for as long as they last,
But the all-clear sounds–then it’s okay—
You take a deep breath, the stress has passed by.
But real fear is a stone deep down in your chest.
You hear me? A stone. That’s what it is, nothing more.
Selvinskiy understands fear. Those last two lines say it all. Although there are plenty of ways to cope with fear – for example, I have a protective husband, a commercial grade alarm system and sleep with a loaded Glock within arms’ reach – the only real antidote to fear is faith in a sovereign God. As years go on and I learn more about the God who has held me in the palm of His hand for my entire life, I am less and less ruled by fear. We’re starting a new sermon series at church on Hebrews, so there will be several posts a week on that for a while, with a particular emphasis on the effect of faith on fear.
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