Replacing a Culture of Fear with a Culture of Love

By DR. PETRA WELDES

This article appeared in the November 2018 issue of Science of Mind magazine

We are told that we reflect the glory of God. But too often we reflect the fear and limitation of humanity rather than the glory of God. We have a Divine right to be the masters of our own fate. We have a Divine right to rise above fear, impoverishment and disease.

— DR. ERNEST HOLMES

Sometimes I wake up in the morning wondering what in the world is going on. There seems to be so much to be afraid of these days. Everywhere we turn — on the news, on social media or over a cup of coffee with a friend — we are confronted with the problems of the world. Whether it’s politics or violence, human rights or the planet, we see seemingly overwhelming challenges. It’s easy to rail against those who are accused of making the problems or to simply retreat into our own world of spiritual bliss. The truth, however, is that both of these responses are fight-or-flight reactions to fear. Dr. Ernest Holmes writes, “What is war? Fear! What is hatred? Fear! What is intolerance? Fear! Fear of what? Of the world we live in, and of God. ... All these varying forms of fear are rooted in one fundamental negation: We do not know that we belong to the Universe in which we live.” I feel this fundamental negation when I read or hear viewpoints I simply can’t imagine. This is especially true when the ideas espoused cultivate fear of and hatred for those who are different. I find myself wondering how we can occupy the same universe or believe in the same Infinite Almighty Spirit. Sometimes I wonder how God can allow it. Then I remember that each of us is individually endowed with free will. While some may use their free will to choose to make themselves safe or attack those they fear, as people on a spiritual path, we are called to choose a different approach. Rather than react with fight or flight, we are called to act from love.

MOVE TO THE PLAYING FIELD OF ONENESS Cultivating a culture of love means that we move the conversation and our actions off the playing field of either/or and onto the playing field of Oneness. Whenever you find yourself anxious over life and full of fear, don’t fight your fear. Rather, you must see through the fear to the Oneness of Life and the great Power for Good. Seeing Oneness gives us the eyes of love. Holmes reminds us, “There is no fear in love and there is no liberation from fear without love. Fear is based on the supposition that we are unprotected, rejected, friendless. If the fearful mind would entertain love and the harmony and peace that go with it, it must turn from everything that denies this love, and trusting in Divine Guidance, open its being to the influx of love, not just love of God but love of everything, for love is all-inclusive.”

BREAK FREE FROM THE OPPRESSION OF FEAR

We need to break free from the oppression of fear by developing our spiritual power. This power is the power and confidence that come with faith: faith that there is a power greater than we are, and we can use it for great good in the world. We are here to create and express life, but we have a deep personal responsibility in how we do that. We don’t want to resist fear or try to overcome it, but rather our spiritual awareness calls us to be love and to act from love. Being love means we consciously recognize our Oneness with everything and everyone. Acting from love means we are acting affirmatively, in alignment with our faith. I believe, and can attest to the truth, that we humans are better than we know and more trustworthy than we believe. I know this because I know the spiritual beings that we truly are. These are the eyes of love. This knowing means I don’t fear what others might do because I know the spiritual truth about humanity. And I don’t fear the outcome because I know that in the eternality of life’s evolution, no one will be left out. Moving in the world from this belief means we can act with confidence and assurance in the outcome, no matter how long it takes, because we trust the Universal Law that must manifest as we believe. This confidence cultivates a culture of love, within ourselves and within all those around us. ​ PRACTICES TO CULTIVATE A CULTURE OF LOVE 1. Practice seeing those we fear as people also on a spiritual journey to self-awareness. See how they are trying to get love. Notice how they have forgotten to be the love they want to receive. Remember how we, too, needed to come to this awareness ourselves. 2. Seek to be “for” things and ideas rather than “against” people. Find positive and affirmative ways to speak and engage with issues you care about, without making others wrong. 3. Monitor your diet of fear-based news and media. Balance it with healthy doses of positive information, positive actions and plenty of spiritually grounding and uplifting input. 4. Limit the amount of “ain’t it awful” conversations you engage in. Increase your attention to and active engagement in productive words and actions that further Oneness and our global vision. 5. Actively engage in spiritual mind treatment (affirmative prayer) for the well-being of the planet and all the people and beings that share it together. Use other prayers, like the Loving Kindness Meditation or the Ho’oponopono Prayer: ​ LOVING KINDNESS MEDITATION (Metta Sutta) May I/you/they be well. May I/you/they be happy. May I/you/they be healthy. May I/you/they be at peace. May I/you/they be free from pain and suffering. ​ HO’OPONOPONO PRAYER Holding a person or the planet in your mind, repeat: I’m sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you.