Institutional Fear

I picked up a book that my wife had been given some years ago by Parker Palmer called, The Courage to Teach". In it he devotes a whole chapter to the fears that both teachers and students need to confront when they come together (A Culture of Fear). It got me thinking about fear within institutions, and then I continued along that path and thought about other human created institutions and idols and how fearsome they can be. Think for a minute about some that are at the forefront of the news right now...government, the economy, and health care. These are enormous institutions that are quite broken (at least in practice) and also quite fearsome. The fear comes because they have been made into idols that are worshipped instead of the broken human creations that they are. I've blogged before on the power of idol worship and the demonizing that happens when a good thing is elevated to an ultimate thing (i.e., becomes and idol). The creation of institutions which exist only to foster their own continuation, creates these idols that then become inviolate. Think about the vitriolic rhetoric that accompanies anyone who tries to say that there's something wrong with one of our idols...does the name Dr. Donald Berwick come to mind?! Here is a brilliant man who had the courage to stand up and say that CMS is terribly broken and needs to be radically altered to become something both functional and affordable (two things it currently is not by any stretch of the imagination). It cost him his job - though his reputation is still intact. Idols and institutions that become idols (and are thus seemingly above reproach) are fearsome. We choose not to challenge the status quo for fear of what will happen to us. We fear being sacrificed in public for our contention that something is wrong with 50 million people having inadequate health insurance, and 16% of the population being unemployed or underemployed. We fear the recriminations of being the ones who say that indeed the king is parading around buck naked. Our fear of things continuing in the same broken manner is balanced by the idol worshippers who fear the loss of their idol and wonder what will replace it. They continue their idolatry because their fear of change and the unknown paralyzes them. We have a way to overcome this paralyzing fear. It is called faith, and it is at its core the means and the grace that allows us all to move forward in the face of fear. It is a common quote that courage is not the absence of fear, rather it is the ability to do what needs to be done in spite of our fears. That kind of courage comes from a place outside of us. Our faith in a power that is greater than us, in a wisdom that dwarfs our own, in a way of living in right relationship with each other where all are of equal value, is what has toppled all the idols of history. During this holiday season then, where are you finding the faith to move forward to conquer your fear(s)? What institution(s) in your life have become idols that need to be named and changed? We at Possibilities Journey Inc (www.possjrny.org) believe that it is time for the idol of health care to meet the power of faith in order to be transformed into the life giving service that it was created to be. Thanks for being with us on this journey. If you are looking for end of the year donation opportunities, we would welcome your support. You can donate at our website and we thank you in advance. Peace for the journey, Dan