Fear of God and Relational Wholeness

"When people are no longer awed, respectful, or fearful of God's holiness, the community is put at risk."  (Walter Brueggemann)

In 2 Samuel 6, we encounter the strange holiness of God.  A holiness that can't be presumed upon, used or manipulated for one's own agenda.  A holiness so powerful that if it is not respected, trouble ensues.  No doubt, David and Israel learn this truth after the death of Uzzah.

I connect this idea with the notion that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:9).  Fearing God creates a foundation for life that leads to a holiness that can be characterized by relational health. Failure to fear God creates a void, a void that leads us down paths of foolishness.

I believe this makes sense.  If God is feared, then communities have a much better chance of being healthy.  The God we serve is the God who commands us to love and serve our neighbors, even if our neighbors are strangers or enemies.

You see, we don't believe in two great commandments that conflict with one another.  We don't believe that we are to love and serve God; and then love and serve our neighbor.  This approach creates problems because we might conclude serving God trumps (no pun intended) serving our neighbor.  Then we will be justified in sacrificing people on some sort of religious principle or agenda.   This is not the Jesus way.

Instead, we believe in a single commandment with two parts that can't separated.  To fear God is to love the other.  To fear God is to pursue mercy.  To fear God is to be fair.  To fear the God who revealed himself in Jesus is to embrace his sacrificial love.  To fear God is to care deeply about the well-being of others.  

As John writes: "This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as He commanded us" (1 John 3:23).   Everyone who does not love has missed the mark:  "He who does not love abides in death" (1 John 3:14).   Notice again the tight connection between God and love:  "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God" (1 John 4:7-8).

We can see this at work in our lives.  When we lose our fear of God, we will tend to serve something else.  We might serve money or our own agenda or our image. Then we will sacrifice other people on the alter of our agenda.

However, when we serve God, truly with respect and reverence, we find a different path.  Fear of God frees us to pursue the truth, placing us on a trajectory of personal transformation.  Fear of God gives us the strength to forgive because we understand that our own sins have been forgiven.  With God, we are free to love because the other person doesn't have to be a god for us, therefore we can love without having to control.

So perhaps, this text is a powerful reminder that fear of God must be at the center of our lives.  Without it, we drift.  We move away from what is truly life giving.

Peace.