Reality Overcomes Fear

One

The greatest pandemic today is indulging in unreal fear. The Cure is Reality.

Now I am not saying there are not real and present physical, spiritual or moral dangers in the world. There are. Satan, evil,  suffering, sickness, disease, wars, natural disasters, poverty and every other cross and eventually death - all exist – they are part of reality. But they need not cause an overwhelming fear.

The problem is indulging in unreal fear - the solution is living in reality.

We were designed by God for reality and the ultimate reality is God. Furthermore, God gave us faculties to engage in reality: an intellect, will, emotions and a body with five senses to put us in direct contact with reality.

We should prefer direct immediate contact with reality. We should never prefer indirect, intermediate or remote contact with reality. I should want to be with my wife in person rather than by Zoom – nothing against Zoom – I just prefer my wife in person. I should prefer hiking in the mountains over watching it on a screen. I should prefer talking to the people in my house more than those on Facebook.

I should prefer above all the reality of Jesus before us and within us; Jesus in the Eucharist and Jesus in our souls.

Two

We live in a time when people think more, feel more, and worry more about what is remote and not even real. Again lets take for example all the time we spend on our screens while not being engaged with the reality in our living room or within our soul.

This causes us to lose touch with reality.

There is a two-fold consequence to living in a virtual world rather than the reality before us and within us: first we lose peace; then our priorities become disordered.

We lose peace because we are not engaged in that which is before you – reality. Anything becomes anxious if you put it where it doesn’t belong – if you put a dog way up high in the branches of a tree or threw a cat in a pond – it would get awfully nervous.

And that is why WE are always anxious – because we’ve put ourselves in a virtual environment, not the real one where we belong.

Three

Secondly, when we immerse ourselves in our screens, we lose the right order of things. We lose our sense of priorities – become confused about what is most important.

We worry about what we are told to worry about by our screens.

No one controls God’s world but God. So if we engage God’s world directly - we have a better chance of following God’s order.

But the virtual world is controlled by those who own the news media, the social media, the entertainment industry. If we choose to live in that world, whether we know it or not, we subject ourselves to their control.

The irony is that we have convinced ourselves the only way to stay in touch with reality is through the media. The truth is that the media distorts reality, cuts us off from it.

Reality – as you experience it directly, not as the media packages it – conquers fear.

Four

Two questions to overcome fear.

What are you scared of exactly?

What do you think will happen exactly?

In reality there are not an infinite number of things that will happen to you. There is only one path and one thing at a time. There may be endless possibilities, but there are not endless possibilities that actually WILL happen. And the fact is, with the grace of God you CAN deal with the One God will allow. Because he will give you the grace for the one, but not the unreal infinity of possibilities that cause us the fear, worry and anxiety that bewilder us.

Indulging in unreal fears develop a habit of fear, anxiety and panic in the soul. We can cure this by living not in possibility, not in speculation, but in reality.

And the Reality is – we are safe. With God as our Father and under the Mantle of Mary we are safe – you are safe.

Five

Ground yourself in reality and you will overcome fear panic and worry.

We ground ourselves in reality by coming in direct contact with God, the ultimate reality through prayer and the sacraments; and then the rest of reality by direct contact with family, friends, co-workers, clients, patients and projects. Furthermore, go out-side – get in touch with nature.

Reality is the cure so here is your prescription:

Once a week fast from all media – period!

Go for a long walk or run with another person and talk.

Get in touch with your five senses out doors which put you in direct contact with reality.

Receive God in the Eucharist and praise Him for being not only the Ultimate Reality, but the one closest to you.

Spend time talking and listening and just being with the Most Holy Trinity Who dwells within you.

Ask Him what you need to know about Reality and be patient – He will show you.