As I was packing this morning for my flight home, I had mixed feelings about stepping onto an airplane. Given recent events, flying from Spain to Germany isn’t my favorite idea right now. Statistically, it isn’t very probable that anything out of the ordinary will happen. But…BUT…if…maybe…

These are the words that plague my mind when I think about it too much. A museum shooting. A deliberate plane crash. What if it happens to me? What if it happens to someone I know?

I recently had the pleasure of sitting next to a priest on a trans-Atlantic flight. (For the second time – what are the odds?) I’m not sure how we arrived at the topic of fear, but we did and I remember he quoted a Bible verse that I knew from my youth. He said “Perfect love casts out fear.” It comes from 1 John 4:18. And as I was packing my things this morning the words came back to me and I started thinking about the root of fear. Evil uses fear as it’s greatest weapon because it works. It is the kind of sinister tool that destroys us from the inside out. If I allow it the opportunity, it will rob me of the incredible possibilities that are waiting for me.

I shouldn’t be afraid because I already know the ending to the story. Evil loses. It doesn’t win even a single battle in the war against good and evil. While I’m aware that bad things are happening all around me, the Bible says that all things work together for good to them that love God. (Romans 8:28) It’s such a simple thing and I wonder why it’s so hard to keep hold of when faced with the choice to succumb to fear. I find it interesting that the word in the Bible that defeats fear is love. It’s going to take a lot of love to counteract the fear that is all around us in these unsettling times.

Honestly, I never intended to write anything on this blog about my faith because I was afraid people wouldn’t like it. I’m still going to primarily write about food and travel, but if I occasionally feel compelled to share something a little bit deeper that might resonate with someone else, I’m going to do it unapologetically and not be afraid of what anyone thinks. And I’m going to get on airplanes, and visit museums and explore the wonder of God’s creation. I’ll get to know other people, other cultures and realize the experiences that are meant for me. I’m going to choose love and not fear.