Whenever I mention to someone that I have a bit of an irrational fear of clowns (which comes up in conversation more often than you would think), one of the first things I'm asked is, “Oh man, you must really get freaked out by IT then, right?”. Surprisingly, though, I don't. Pennywise is probably the only clown I've ever seen that hasn't given me the heebie jeebies. Maybe it's because Stephen King is one of my favorite authors, or because I've seen his two-part miniseries a dozen times over the years. But mostly, I think it's because I know that the man behind the makeup and fangs is Tim Curry. As great as his performance as Pennywise is, half the time I'm thinking about him as a stodgy butler or as a sweet transvestite. Being aware of his other famous roles somehow diffuses any fear that the character of Pennywise might have otherwise sprung up in me. In my mind, the same can't be said for any other clown, who could actually be a blood-sucking demon for all I know.
IT is a movie. As an adult, I know that movies are nothing to be scared of, that they're just images on a screen. But my somewhat arbitrary distinction of Pennywise as being innocuous compared to other clowns brings out for me the fact that fear isn't something that's objective or concrete. It's a product of our mind, a remnant of our original set of survival instincts. That doesn't mean that strong fear feels any less real for us when we're in the middle of it, or that there aren't some things that are healthy for us to fear. It does mean that fear can be put in perspective and controlled to some degree.
But for so many of us, fear is a central part of our lives. Instead of ghosts, zombies, or old dolls (uggghh), it's the mundane things we face on a daily basis. Fear of confronting our bosses or family members, of crime, of illness, of disappointment and failure, of our difficulties in paying our next rent bill or loan payment. This type of fear can be crippling and can prevent us from thinking and acting clearly or living full lives.
Obviously, we don't want to live in constant fear. God doesn't want us to, either. People are often shocked to find out that the most frequent command in the Bible isn't to do with not killing or stealing or committing adultery. It's “Do not be afraid.” Such a simple command, and yet how utterly impracticable it seems to us sometimes. Just one more piece of unrealistic advice from the Bible in our stressful, high-tension world.
At the heart of the command, though, is God asking one important question: What is your center? Is it this anxiety, this uncertainty about the future that you're feeling right now? Or is it trying to serve Me and living the best life you can for the benefit of those around you? When we put our own feelings at the center, the fear associated with asking an intimidating boss for a promotion can be debilitating. Putting God at our center, as well as our determination to live the best lives possible, can put this moment in perspective. As real as this fear feels, it's transitory. God is what lasts, and He'll make sure that you're provided for, whether your boss gives you a promotion or kicks you out of his office. Keeping the big picture in mind, that our causes for fear as well as the feelings themselves are temporary, is crucial here. As difficult as this can be, the alternative is allowing fear to put us in a stranglehold to the point where we forget how to live in any other way.
My intention here hasn't been to downplay anyone's fears or to shame anyone for having them. Fear is a fact of life. But it doesn't have to be the only fact of life. It can be disarmed and shown for what it is. As a product of our minds, fear and its causes can be put into perspective. There is one thing that is certain. There is one Rock. To establish our lives on a foundation of fear is to build on sand and to risk what will happen when the rain falls and the winds blow. To trust in God and in the fact that everything will be all right is to persistently declare in our hearts, “The Lord is with me. What can man do to me?” (Psalm 118:6) Or, for that matter, killer clowns?
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