No fear in love

In 1 John 4:18 we read, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The man who fears is not made perfect in love." Perhaps our fear is a fear of 'receiving punishment' through being rejected, eg - a fear of being unacceptable? This can sometimes be the fear of a moralising Christian, who wants to be accepted and not rejected by other Christians, maybe even fearing God's rejection. A gay or lesbian, who feels rejected and criticised by Christians, will often express it by angrily attacking us. I personally like to flee from confrontation, if I can possible do so! I guess that says a lot about my own fears and phobias?

Working to overcome our fears and prejudices in a Christ-like way must involve giving others the freedom to disagree and not making demands of them. It must also give us the freedom to express what we believe honours and dishonours the God we love and serve. Living with the tensions, confusions and conflicts that will surface is inevitable in our humanity. But, learning to love as Jesus loves enables them to become catalysts for our growth, driving out fears or phobias, including homophobias of all types.