I remember watching that show called "Fear Factor" when it first came out. It was interesting to see what they would use to try and frighten or gross someone out with each week. Whether it was lying in a coffin full of snakes or eating a pigs head, the folks at NBC always had something new and disgusting for contestants to overcome. After a while though, the show became rather routine since most people would eat anything (or at least try) and risk whatever with 50k waiting at the finish line.
But it seems to me that between the TV news, the paper, Oprah, Dateline and the rest, there is a new, yet less entertaining reality show that is ongoing. The constant message from these outlets is "what you should be afraid of now." Identity theft, scams, swine flu, the economy, gas prices - the list goes on. After I watch or read something like this, my initial reaction is, "how should I protect myself from this? What should I do to prepare for the worst?"
Once panic gives way to reason, however, I begin to accept that there will always be something that I can choose to be afraid of. And that's the key; it's a choice. As a person of faith, I know that God is bigger than identity theft or the most recent flu epedimic. I always try to remind my self of the 23rd Psalm where it says, "even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me." That verse is both comforting and challenging. It's great to know that God is with us no matter what the newest scare is, but it is a very real challenge to remember that when it hits home.
