Understanding Brings Liberation

Not long ago on television, there was a replay of what had been a live simulcast between San Francisco and the former Leningrad. Audiences in both cities were able to view the program as it was presented.

One of the most dramatic moments came near the end of the broadcast, when the reality of the situation dawned on both audiences and they began to wave to each other. Tears of joy were shed in both cities.

People who had been on opposite sides of a Cold War for more than a generation suddenly became aware that people on the other side were just like them.

This is the kind of understanding that increases the potential for peace in the world.

During World War II, Allied soldiers referred to the Germans as “jerrys.” During the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, the Red Chinese, North Korean and Vietnamese were called “gooks.” These names served to dehumanize the enemy and create a sense of superiority and loathing in the troops that had to fight them.

If the name-callers had understood that the troops on the other side were also fighting for their beliefs, killing them would have become an infinitely more difficult task.

An old Moorish proverb brings to mind a great truth: “He who is afraid of a thing gives it power over him.” We all have fears, and it’s important to learn what they are and face them directly. Courage overcomes the feeling of helplessness and encourages us to think clearly and take action in any given situation.

When we increase our understanding of ourself and others, fear and hatred are much less likely to take root. When the audience in San Francisco understood that the people in Leningrad also had hopes and aspirations, fear and misunderstanding began to evaporate. When the audience in Leningrad understood that the people in San Francisco looked like them, laughed like them, and had a similar vision of the future, the world took a giant step closer to realizing peace and brotherhood.

We tend to fear the unknown. When early hunters sought out man-eating animals for food, there was always a sense of fear and anxiety inherent in the hunt - not because the hunter didn’t know what he would find, but because he didn’t know when.

Today, it is rare to encounter a man-eating animal in our normal pursuits, so there is little reason for us to fear for our lives from this danger. Yet we continue to experience fear and anxiety for the future. We believe there may be the potential for terrible things to happen to us and we don’t know when.

However, the truth is that, by approaching life without fear, things tend to work out for the best.

If we choose to remain in fear, then one fear leads to another, which can only lead to additional fears. If we live in a fearful state, there can always be something to be afraid of.

Most fears are educated into us and can be educated out.

Fear may be a lack of the awareness of the presence of God as a real force in our lives. With the realization of God’s active presence in our lives, many aspects of fear may disappear into the mists of the unreal. Like a snowball dropped into a pail of hot water, fear dissolves, and its energy is transmuted into positive faith.

Take the example of recovering alcoholics. During the course of the disease these people increasingly come to deny they have a problem with alcohol. Most of them have to hit bottom before they can look up and see that the solution lies in recovery. The fear and anxieties that were the cause of their drinking had to come to light so they could face and defeat them.

But you don’t have to hit bottom to look up. You can begin right now to understand that life without fear works out for the best. You can begin now to understand that people on “the other side” of the world are just like you and me - they only want to be free to be happy and useful.

You don’t have to be afraid to reach out for new experiences or take new risks to acquire an increased expectation of good. You can go forth without fear in the direction of success, harmony, health, prosperity and usefulness.

Excerpted from “Worldwide Laws of Life” by John Marks Templeton.