Journal of Sacred Work

   My understanding is that fear is a primitive reaction that awakens in us the human chemistry of our adrenals. A "tiger" chases us.
Involuntarily, a burst of adrenaline flares through our bodies, supplying us with energy to run faster or to fight with enhanced strength.   
   At such a moment,
humans actually have three choices: 1) to run, 2) to fight, 3) to
find another alternative. What is the alternative to fleeing or fighting? It is Love.
 
  Some Christians thrown
to lions during the period of the persecution simply yielded to what
they saw as inevitable. They chose the path of Daniel. They neither ran nor fought. Without fear, they raised their eyes to some higher place and
surrendered. 
   Should we surrender when chased by forces that seem stronger
than ourselves? In the unlikely event that we're chased by a tiger, we need, of course, to find an
escape route. Yet, when confronted by threats from other humans, we can choose the
special courage to respond with Love.
   What can you do in the presence of the threatening
tiger of a boss? Many "run." They do this by hiding under a mask of
compliance. They apple-polish frantically as a fear-based strategy to
save their jobs. Alternatively, they literally try to dodge the radar of the boss's scanning eyes by being where the boss isn't
    Some may also choose to fight tyranny with a sort of eye-for-an-eye approach. They may respond to abusive treatment with abusive and hostile language. In other words, they may choose retaliation and revenge – choosing to sink to the same level as their abuser.
   Martin Luther King showed us the pathway to a third choice. He always counseled that we be both "tough-minded and tender-hearted." In the 1950s and '60s, he responded to abuse from misguided Southern sheriffs, Mayors, and governors with dignity, respect and Love. In other words, King chose the pathway laid down by Jesus. He paid no honor to fear or to his enemies. He stood strong and graceful. Jesus' surrender to the cross was not driven by fear. He chose a far more loving path.
   Responding to fear with The Third Choice of Love is the hardest thing humans ever do. When we are living in fear, we are living away from Love's energy. That is why courage is the only bridge that can carry us from fear back to Love's light. Like Daniel, we can open our hearts to God.
   The Third Choice calls us to rise above our most primitive instincts. When we make The Third Choice our first choice, we are, of course, choosing God.

   How would you express your own understanding of the way to make this third choice? How do you see others making this kind of third-choice decision in their work and their lives?

-Erie Chapman