“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…” —1 John 4:18 (NIV)

The Charleston Emanuel A.M.E. Church shooting, the Paris attacks, the Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood and San Bernardino shootings, the recent anniversary of the Newtown Sandy Hook school shooting—we’ve had ample reminders of the specter of terrorist activity throughout the last year. And those are just the most talked-about reminders—the ones that have created and sustained page-one headlines.

With what now seems to be a steady diet of such tragedies, who could blame any of us for entering this new year with a sense of dread and trepidation? How do we muster any sense of hope or optimism in the coming year when it seems that at any time, we could be among the next victims of someone intent on hurting us—especially someone in possession of weapons designed specifically and exclusively to kill and maim as many people as possible in the shortest possible time?

These are questions that I suspect many of us have pondered in one way or another over the last few weeks as we prepared to swap our worn-out calendars for brand new ones. It has gotten to be a pretty scary world out there, and I know I’m not alone in longing for signs that those who have somehow rationalized their apparent decision that violence is the best and only way to get their points across might find a better way.

It’s understandable, I think, if we Christians find ourselves somewhat conflicted over how to respond to or deal with what seems to be emerging as the “new normal”. On the one hand, Jesus (who surely knew a thing or two about fear himself—especially toward the end of his ministry) challenged his followers to reject fear and worry. “Why are you so afraid?” he asked the terrified disciples (with what I suspect was a bit of loving exasperation) in their storm-tossed boat. “Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40) And to the crowd gathered on the mountain, he said, “do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” (Matthew 6:34)

On the other hand, we’re only human. We’ve an evolutionary predisposition to experience fear in the face of danger. It’s a gift of sorts—arguably a significant reason we’re at the top of the food chain today, and the wellspring of what we know as courage. It would be not just unwise, but foolish for us to ignore the potential dangers in our world, and equally as unwise and foolish not to attempt to do something about those dangers. There is little doubt in my mind that 2016—and indeed, the foreseeable future—will present many opportunities not only for faith and fear, but perhaps most significantly for Christians, opportunities for leading the world to a proper balance between the two.

The directions we choose as we “do something about those dangers” will determine how quickly—or even if—we find some kind of resolution to the conflict between fear and faith. “God Won’t Fix This”, read the cover of the New York Daily News in the wake of the San Bernardino shootings. And indeed, God probably won’t—at least not unilaterally. It will be up to us as Christians, strengthened by our faith in the power of love against the life-sapping realities of worry and anxiety, to lead the world to the peace for which we so desperately long. Love can be, should be, and must be at the center of our efforts to deal with the things that threaten us. There is no fear in love, the Apostle tells us. (1 John 4:18)

What might our attempts to “do something” about the dangers around us look like in practical terms? If those attempts derive their energy from authentic, Christ-centered love, they might include accepting refugees from violence-plagued countries with open hearts and arms instead of suspicion and resentment. They might include our advocating for foreign policies and programs that eschew acceptability of “carpet bombing” and “collateral damage” as viable strategies for dealing with those who would do us harm.

Closer to home, our attempts to make peace a reality might include focusing our attention on addressing the often-uncrossable chasm between the wealthy and the disenfranchised. And there is plenty of work yet to do to ensure that the systemic barriers that have been erected between people of color and a fair chance at success are destroyed once and for all.

As I see it, the origins of many of the fears we experience today can be traced at one length or another to actions born of our own greed and self-centeredness—or more to the point, to actions that have not been born of the kind of love Christ modeled for us. The good news is that, with God’s help, we can fix this. And there is no better time to begin the work than now. It will not be easy, but as most of our parents told us—and as Jesus himself would tell us—the rewards of peace in our time and hope for the future are worth the effort.

This is also a good time to initiate some changes in The Cumberland Presbyterian magazine. In the current issue, readers will find the first installment of a handful of new columns. Among others, there will be regular dispatches from our Pastoral Development Ministry Team, who will be offering encouragement, support, and helpful resources to the clergy among our readers. Our Youth and Young Adult Ministries team will be checking in regularly with event announcements, ministry ideas, and suggestions for resources designed specifically to reach that audience. We’ll also be receiving regular updates from the Unification Task Force—to better prepare us not only for the joint meeting of the General Assemblies of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in June, but for the work that must be done beyond June.

Finally, we’re also hoping this year to be able to highlight many stories of ministries being successfully executed at the congregational level. Readers will find a piece in the current issue, for example, that tells of a very cool ministry being done by the Dickson Cumberland Presbyterian Church. I hope that as you conceive of new ministries and vehicles for outreach in your communities, you’ll let us know so we can also share your work with others.

May you have all have a year filled with love, hope, meaning, and successes in ministry!