Terrorism or "weapons of mass destruction" threaten us with forces over which we have no control. Robert Jay Lifton and others have noted that when people cannot cope with an ongoing threat, they may restrict their awareness and participation in the world in many ways—they "don't think about it" and dismiss the threat while diminishing their awareness of the world ("psychic numbing"). One form of this that we may see in churches is an escapist belief that "God will fix it," a belief that removes human responsibility and complicity in a real threat which humans have created. When churches fail to provide ways for people to face this threat, they are avoiding a major spiritual issue.

Many people have found that facing into their fears has made them more open to the power of God in their lives and more aware of the delights of the creation. But we need to approach this journey into the shadow carefully. Terror needs to be approached gently and in a supportive context. Many in the psychological disciplines suggest it is dangerous to destroy people's defenses before they are ready to give them up. Deep respect for persons, which comes from our religious traditions, may mean that we have no right to change another person. However, we can offer them both support and the possibility of visioning new options.

In the past, peace and justice movements sometimes seem to have appealed to fear as a means of motivating people. We suspect that the long-range results of this approach are counter-productive. Churches have a great gift to offer society in helping people move from fear to hope as a basis for action.