My childhood God spoke in the cadence of King James. As I remember, He often told me to “fear not.”
… fear not … peace I leave with you … let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid … take therefore, no thought for the morrow … be not dismayed … the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear … the Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? … fear not

I’ve been compiling a “brave/not brave” scorecard for my childhood self. Believe I was middling-brave. I enjoyed the usual childhood activities. I rode my bike all over my small, Midwestern town, roller skated, and swam pretty much daily during summer vacation. Ice skating was a large part of my winter play.
Team sports weren’t for me, mostly because I wasn’t good at them. I was always chosen last for gym class baseball games, and was lousy at all gymnastics. The only phys-ed activity where I showed some aptitude was track. My long legs made me a pretty good hurdler.
I have many memories of being afraid when facing a physical challenge. I didn’t want to climb trees or rocks. Jumping across, over, or down made me fearful. I would never, ever, do something just for the thrill of it.
My body was a scaredy-cat, but my mind was brave. I was raised to think clearly, organize my thoughts, and to speak out. I chaired groups at school and tried out for the school plays. I spoke at church, and was able to meet adults comfortable and confident. I could be fearless in the mental arena.
Here I am, at 76, still pretty much that same person. Expectations are different; no one expects me to run, jump, or throw a ball. I’m a bit braver physically – parasailing off the coast of Puerto Vallarta was the highpoint of a vacation not all that long ago. And I believe that I have retained and honed my ability to write and speak my mind.
In this time of pandemic and protest, though, I’ve become confused about exactly what bravery is. Is it brave – or timid – to continue my stay-in-place practice, despite pushes to get back to normal? Was I being thoughtful or wishy-washy when I changed my mind, and changed it again, about meeting up with my writing group, knowing the five of us would be masked and seated more than six feet apart? Am I wise or cowardly as I choose to support the protesters with my prayers and admiration, but not my physical presence?

I have two new heroes. The first is Darnella Frazier, the seventeen-year-old African American from Minneapolis, who captured the murder of George Floyd on her phone. Darnella, a high schooler, with a boyfriend and a job at the mall, Darnella said “The world needed to see what I was seeing. Stuff like this happens in silence too many times.” The Minneapolis Star Tribune praised her for her bravery, presence of mind, and steady hand, naming Darnella the Rosa Parks of her generation.
Samantha Francine, from Whitefish, Montana, is my second hero. A photo of her has become an iconic image on social media. Samantha, a 27-year-old African American, was at a peaceful protest when a visibly angry white guy confronted her. The man, standing several inches taller, yelled hateful, curse-filled words at her face. Samantha responded by raising her face, and staring directly into the eyes of her tormentor. She later recounted a lesson from her father: “No matter who the threat is, no matter what the threat is, you look them in the eye so that they know you’re human.” She added, “Surrounded by so many awesome people, I just knew what to do.”
Two heroes. Two young women who “just knew what to do.” Surely, they were bolstered by a belief system that reassured them, “fear not!”
Bible experts say there are 365 verses in the scriptures that promise a sense of safety and security through rough times. Besides the ones quoted above is this, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” In the midst of these hard days, I take particular comfort in these words from 2 Timothy 1:7. I rejoice in the numbers of brave protestors on the streets. I also honor those of us who know that our best life can be lived out by keeping ourselves safe, making our personal decisions, and dedicating ourselves to educating ourselves and supporting others. These strange days call for bravery in many guises.
Fear not, friends!
Thanks Amory
Each takes steps along the journey and hopefully make a couple of good turns along the way that are considered brave. Standing strong, speaking out, or writing with wisdom. Be well my friend. BTW was elected to serve Mntsky Conference.
That’s what’s so important … taking those couple of good turns. And, recognizing the many ways of being brave. Thanks for your response. (Thanks, too, for letting me know you are Mountain Sky lay leader. I’d been eager to hear.)
Lovely reflection, Amory. What a joy to read! Thank you.
I appreciate your good words. Thank you for reading and for responding.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Amory. I like to take inventory of my own traveling, often being too critical of myself. Is it the voice of a parent that beats me over the head as I lament each mistake? I’m glad to know you and enjoy a peek into your journey.
Shannon, we do share pieces of each others’ journey, on Saturday mornings and through this. Thank you for reading, for commenting.
I remember when you gave me your bicycle. Dad put on a bar from the seat to the handle bar base. I couldn’t go around town on a
“girls bike”. Yes you were the child with the brains and I was the one that would drive boats crazy fast and ski straight down the black diamond slopes.
Glad I got you thinking about bikes and all such things. (Had you ever seen that photo of me before? Perfect for the blog, huh?)
Amory, Thank you for your thoughtful words. I share your struggle.
Carolyn, thank you for reading and responding. Glad, but not surprised, that I wrote about something that’s on your mind, too.
I hadn’t heard about Samantha Francine until I read this. So I looked her up. Brave woman.
I love it! That’s twice now that something I’ve said has driven you to Google. Thanks for reading, researching, and responding!
As a friend of Amory’s since adulthood (approx 42 yrs now) I welcomed a glimpse of the child Amory. Yes, each of us are dealing with these weird times in our very own way, yet I suspect that you have spoken for many who feel they are not doing enough to evoke change (because they are not getting whacked on the head?) which does not mean their contribution has little value. Maintaining a stable mind (peace amidst chaos) and not stirring the pot of anger & fear is of great value. Consider the Serenity Prayer.
Lance, thank you for reading and responding! Thank you, especially, for your insights. Believe I’ll keep on working on that “maintaining a stable mind” suggestionn.