You WILL Be (but you shouldn't be)

Say your prayers little one
Dont forget, my son
To include everyone

Tuck you in, warm within
Keep you free from sin
Till the sandman he comes

[Bridge]
Sleep with one eye open
Gripping your pillow tight

[Chorus]
Exit light
Enter night
Take my hand
Off to never never land

Somethings wrong, shut the light
Heavy thoughts tonight
And they arent of snow white

Dreams of war, dreams of liars
Dreams of dragons fire
And of things that will bite

[Bridge]
[Chorus]

Now I lay me down to sleep
Pray the lord my soul to keep
If I die before I wake
Pray the lord my soul to take

Hush little baby, dont say a word
And never mind that noise you heard
Its just the beast under your bed,
In your closet, in your head

Exit light
Enter night
Grain of sand

[Chorus]

Metallica's "Black Album," released in 1991, is a treasure trove of the things we fear most. It's an immensely popular piece of culture that deals with our worst fears. The fear of not receiving forgiveness, the fear that somehow God will fail us, the fear that we don't live up to others standards, and most of all, our fear of death.



Metallica is not normally considered a fertile field for theological reflection or meditation. Pat Boone, perhaps, but In a Metal Mood is not quite serious enough, and Metallica did write it originally, so we'll just stick with them. It's an angry song, and a creepy video, and it speaks directly to our fears. And we are afraid. Of everything.

The question is, Why? Why do we turn our fear into anger, or for the believer, why are we afraid? I don't want to be trite, but there is really no reason for it. The apostle John tells us that love casts out fear, but despite our knowledge of the fact that God loves us, we are afraid.

What are we afraid of? It seems that we have not really understood the Psalm we all know. It doesn't take anything near the valley of the shadow of death to make me freeze up. I still get nervous when people ask why I'm going to school. I'm in seminary, it should be a launching pad for the gospel any time anyone asks me about it. I rarely get past a quick joke about how much work it is, and I wish I could get time off.

I'm not saying that there's nothing to worry about. No servant is without struggles. Abraham had to sacrifice his son, David had two sons die, Hosea's wife was a prostitute, and Job lost everything. But these men didn't fear the situations that God placed them in, they valued their relationship with Him too much. Fear of situations should not deter us, from walking with God, nor should anything else. Although we have no guarantees in this life, the next life will be perfect, if we are faithful here.