June 12, 2013
Marg Herder: On Fear and the Paradox of Surrender
EEWC-Christian Feminism Today’s own Marg Herder wrote this essay as a guest post on Tony Jones’s Theoblogy blog on the Patheos website this past Monday, and I wanted to make sure all our “Link of the Day “readers didn’t miss it. We live in an age when an atmosphere of fearfulness surrounds us constantly, as news reports remind us daily. Marg speaks honestly about her experience of a constant lurking fear and then a surprisingly different, wonderful feeling in a safe place where the fear was lifted. She found the experience of such peace need not be ephemeral and dependent upon a physical place of safety, but that such peace can be inward and with her everywhere. She writes: “In my case, I have found that the first step to overcoming the limitations imposed by my ingrained fearfulness is to turn my attention from the clanging cymbal of my ego and instead patiently cultivate the stillness that allows me to hear and act upon the sound of Her voice in my life and in the world. To surrender to God instead of my ego first requires my willingness to pry fear’s fingers off of my heart, so that it can beat freely to the pulse of Her love.” Be sure to read the comments that came in after her article was posted.
