LJ Idol Presents:

Lots of great references here! I grew up in a Protestant church, and I always had questions about the use of the word "fear" when it came to God. Our teachers explained it as "awe and respect" rather than fear as I understood it. I'm sure there's a better translation out there nowadays, but I always thought it a bit intimidating that the word "fear" came up at all. It felt like a threat, one that I often sensed beneath the surface whenever I questioned or disregarded religious instruction.

That's my own baggage though! I think it's a really interesting angle.

What's that expression about love? "Love is handing someone else a gun pointed straight at your heart, and trusting them not to pull the trigger." Sometimes there's a lot of fear in that vulnerability. Sometimes you choose to open up and love and still feel the fear for a time.