Woof! Woof!

All of us have heard the barking dog while we are walking down the street, some more ferocious than others. There is training for barking dogs. The training involves dealing with the dog’s fear. It is fear and uncertainty that leads to barking.

If we take from the dog world and apply it to humans, we see the easy co-relation. I remember as a youthful child meeting people who seemed angry with me merely because I was a little tyke. Then there were the teachers who seemed to bark out their orders and rule with emotional force. I’ve been to nursing homes visiting people with dementia to find some with gruff exteriors and temperaments while others were pleasant, peaceful and serene. It is interesting how someone who has misplaced most of their memories and life experiences can still manifest these attributes in their later senior years. We live in a world where we are often responding to how others are dealing with their fears.

In 1 John 4:18 we read, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (NIV).

So at what times in my own experience do I ‘bark’ at others or God Himself in the midst of my unquieted fears? The fear of loss, pain and misunderstanding are some of the markers that come to mind. There is that moment in the middle of the night when I am awakened by the phone and for a split second my arms and heart go flailing about uncontrollably until I gain perspective. I understand that uncontrolled and natural response. But ultimately, “shall not the God of all the earth do right?”

Paul envisions the Church, the body of Christ, acting without fear as a marvellous testimony to the world when he states, “I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved--and that by God” (Philippians 1:27b-28 NIV). This is illustrated well in “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” when the Christmas goodies are all gone and the people get up and enjoy their day as though no significant loss had occurred.

Can we really grow to be the Church that teaches and practices faith instead of fear? Do we have to approach church meetings, personality conflicts or prayer concerns with ‘fear of the most horrific outcome’ lining our thinking? Is it “woof, woof” or faith that shows up? Does our poor response create baggage that others have to deal with in some negative manner?

If we want a powerful testimony before those around us then we need to get this down better than we have so far. I want and I pray to have this so much a part of me that dynamic faith and love are represented by my temperament even if dementia eventually takes over.

May God lead and may we follow!

Rev. Dennis Stone