Fear is a powerful thing, sometimes for good, sometimes for ill.  I think about this whenever I hear or read about a municipality or, worse, national government enacting measures or making decisions which have the net effect of denying adherents of religions other than those which they pursue the freedom to enjoy the various expressions of those beliefs.  We see this when France outlaws a so-called a  "burkini"; we notice it in America when municipal governments from Illinois to Georgia to Massachusetts deny Muslim groups permits to build a mosque or, oddly enough, a cemetery; we see it when assorted factions of a religious worldview seek to prevent members of other factions from exercising their propensities in worship or practice.

     Ultimately, these responses to expressions of religious belief are driven by fear, fear of physical harm, fear of ideological tarnish, fear of political upheaval, and more.  As I said earlier, fear can help, and fear can harm.  In these instances, I believe it to be harmful. Yes, differences, particularly religious ones, make many of us uncomfortable.  On the other hand, we should recognize that we will never agree on everything, nor will we ever live in a world in which everyone thinks exactly alike. Jesus was not born in a monotone world, nor did Mohammad or Buddha emerge in a homogeneous culture.  But their beliefs thrive to this day.

    It seems that the power of God, should we choose to trust it, is more than able to surmount and overcome and resolve the fears of human beings.

    We're not called to deny; we are called to believe.
    

    And we should--in every way.