Journal of Sacred Work

 John O'Donohue tells the old story about the man trapped in prison with a snake that haunts him all night long by hissing to him, "Beware. You are in danger." At dawn the man discovers the snake is merely a rope.

    A stunning number of our fears (O'Donohue says 90%) are "ropes." Yet, we spend much of our lives feeding such non-existent snakes.

   A successful life flows from living Love, not fear. Yet Fear makes it devilishly hard to live Love. 

    The mantra, Live Love not fear, has informed my life & fuels the philosophy of Radical Loving Care. For most, the last two words resonate more than do the first two. They trigger the piercing question, How much of your life is impacted by Fear in one of his forms?

   O'Donohue paraphrases the Bible phrase, "We have reaped much but sewn little." That is because so many, especially caregivers, are plagued with fears of never doing enough, worries that are aggravated by the fact that no caregiver is ever thanked enough.

   O'Donohue (who died unexpectedly at 52*) offers a beautiful alternative: Live a feast of delight. The very phrase brings a smile. Imagine sitting at a table flooded with your life's finest gifts.

   Live Love not fear. Whenever we do that we celebrate life's highest power; bring out the best in ourselves & others. 

-Erie Chapman

*It was touching to discover the above announcement that includes his gorgeous four-line poem, "I would love to live/ Like a river flows,/ Carried by the surprise/ Of its own unfolding"