One chore I watch birds perform early in the morning is the ritual of grooming. Most birds shake their body to get rid of dust, water and everything that is foreign in the feathers. They also use the beaks to complete the grooming.
Prayer times are like an inner grooming exercise. It is in silence we get in touch with our thoughts, feelings, fears, stress, guilt, anger, etc. To create time for silence, when we can allow the inner world within us to become known to us, is a good way to start the day.
One consciousness I receive during such set part times in silence is the space fear occupies in my inmost being. Fear restricts freedom.
I came across in my reading something that helped me to go on a journey to demystify fears within. Lucretius (96-55BC), a Latin writer wrote a poem, De Rerum Nature, 'On the Nature of Things', which appears in six books. Gerard W. Hughes in his book, 'Cry of wonder' referring to this poem wrote about Lucretius: 'His vocation was to set people free from their fears, because he was aware of the damage we do to ourselves and to others, when we allow fear to become dictator of our lives'!
What is the origin of fears of different streams in our lives! When a family came with their two years old child for consultation, the child preferred to wander about in the room and explore. Parents not being comfortable with it asked him to sit in the chair. As he refused to comply to their repeated requests, the father said, 'doctor would give you an injection if you do not sit quiet'. Instantly the boy came close to the mother and sat still. I remember hearing parents tell their children when they do not like to eat one particular food, 'the police man would take you away if you do not eat'! When a child refuses to sleep, the remedy some parents use is to say, 'I will tell your teacher and she would punish you' !
We have grown up fearing all sorts of people, events or situations in our lives! As we do not take an inventory of such accumulated fears from our childhood, we live constrained by these fears! Most of our dreams are centred around our fears or stressful experiences.
One exercise that I have been consistently engaged in is to find the roots of my fears! Fear clouds our perception and inhibits us to use all the opportunities that come to us.
When we find our own way to 'shake off' the fears that have gripped us, we would find a new strength to live and envision!
'Fear Not' is an oft repeated words of Jesus of Nazareth to His followers!
The post retired season is prone to create the fear of being not needed or valued! So it is good to be conscious of new winds of fear befalling us! It is possible to live free of fears when we grow in the consciousness of 'who we are and whose we are'!
M.C.Mathew (text and photo)
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