March 24, 2003
The fear factor presses down with lots of 'what ifs?'
___By Ken Walker
___Special to the Standard
___LOUISVILLE, Ky.--As an undergraduate at Baylor University in the mid-1970s, Leslie Hollon never envisioned needing a course in dealing with fear.
___But the Boerne native, who now serves as pastor of a Kentucky church, found himself facing such a real-life possibility even before the 2001 attacks that prompted today's tense global scenario.
___As pastor of St. Matthews Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., he is used to dealing with vague threats. But this caller was more direct: "I'm a Muslim. Tell your pastor I'm going to nail him to a cross."
___The man called a second time, and then a third, the final message coming less than two months before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
___The last call included an accusation that Hollon was intolerant toward Muslims. His secretary asked for a phone number so the pastor could return the call, but the number given proved to be phony.
___Ironically, Hollon welcomed participation by other faiths as a leader of 1999's National Day of Prayer, the event that apparently s
___He worked through several stages in resolving the issue, among them wondering why the caller felt threatened and how seriously to take his warnings.
___"Finally, I said, 'I'm at peace with this,'" Hollon recalled. "I felt good about the leadership I gave and am at peace with it.
___"This challenged me to not be intimidated," he said. "I've evaluated the stands I've taken for religious liberty and believe a person has a right to be positively committed to the Christian faith. I can do that because I'm not forcing it on someone else."
___Fear. With the continuing specter of war with Iraq, pastors and Christian counselors say it's on the increase. Anxiety disorders affect more than 19 million Americans annually, according to "Freedom From Fear," a New York-based advocacy group.
___In a 2000 survey by demographer George Barna, 52 percent of respondents identified terrorism and war as their top national-issue concerns. Trailing them were worries over the economy, moral decline, jobs and national security.
___The author of a new book on fear believes many are paralyzed by "scenario sickness," wondering what they will do if a disaster strikes. Grapevine pastor Ed Young Jr., whose "Know Fear" originated with a sermon series he preached three years ago, said "what if?" worries plague people from all income and social levels.
___"I was talking to a stockbroker friend of mine recently, and he was telling me about the fear he faces," said Young, pastor of Fellowship Church in suburban Dallas. "He's afraid of flying and of something tragic happening to his family. I think it's very, very real."
___While many Americans are particularly alarmed over increased security at airports and other public facilities, a longtime Southern Baptist counselor said it may help to realize that such measures have existed elsewhere for years.
___Wade Rowatt, director of the St. Matthews Counseling Center in Louisville and a member of Hollon's church, recalls armed guards nearby when he led missionary workshops in South Korea in the 1980s and tight security on a visit to Trinidad in the 1990s.
___Still, he realizes that doesn't allay the fears of those whose image of a safe nation evaporated after Sept. 11.
___"Business is up," Rowatt said. "Over the last five years, we've more than doubled the number of clients."
___Despite its fading from national headlines, another concern for young people is the fear of school violence, he said.
___High-profile kidnappings in recent years have made teens wary of such threats, while many women fear being raped.
___"Adults try to mask their fears like they try to mask their emotions," Rowatt said. "Men are more ashamed about it and try to hide their fears. The other day, I learned a man had purchased a gun, but initially he didn't say why. It was because he was afraid of break-ins and a terrorist attack."
___A chaplain at a long-term care facility in Austin, however, has found peace through his faith in Christ as he confronts the possibility of two children going into battle.
___Kenneth Harpster of Buckner Village has a son stationed at an Army camp 40 miles north of Seoul, South Korea. His daughter was to leave for the Persian Gulf in early March on an amphibious assault ship.
___Harpster and his wife pray for their children daily, with a photo of the Bradley tank his son is learning to drive posted on his computer screen as an ongoing reminder.
___"Our son said a sergeant told them at a briefing if North Korea dropped a bomb on them, they would have nine seconds to live," said Harpster, who communicates regularly with his son via cell phone.
___"I'm concerned about my children, but there's not a lot of fear, because I feel they're safe. I have a peace about them being where they're supposed to be. They're both Christians, and their faith has gotten stronger in the military."
___With other staff members having family members called up for duty or facing that possibility, the chaplain said fear is a prevalent topic at the center.
___He tells co-workers how he feels about the situation, as well as residents who ask about his children. Ultimately, Harpster had to recognize that God is in control and no amount of worrying will change what's going to happen, he said.
___Some aging seniors at Buckner Village don't follow current events because they have trouble distinguishing past and present events. However, those who watch the news often ask about the chaplain's children or want to pray for President George Bush.
___"I ask where they are in their faith," Harpster said of those who want to discuss their fears. "I advise them to lean on their faith in times like this like they did in the past."
___He also suggests meditating on such Bible passages as Proverbs 3:5-6, which talks about leaning on God; and Hebrews 13:8, which emphasizing Christ's unchanging nature.
___"Jesus is always available, and that's the constant we can work with," Harpster said. "We have to trust in him and try not to worry about anything."
___Hollon also believes Christians must strengthen their faith in fearful times, both individually and collectively.
___"We live in an age where we must be bold," he said. "Without boldness we will decline and diminish. Trying to play it safe for the sake of playing it safe isn't safe any more."
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