The word "fear" has many shades of meaning, from the everyday and banal to the mysterious and existential. But this is still a rather unusual note for a leader of faith to be striking. It is certainly true that, for sceptics and believers alike, religion and fear have always been closely intertwined, but not in the way the archbishop is proposing. To its secular critics, religion is a method of playing cynically on deep human fears: fear of death, loss, calamity, social exclusion. From this perspective, fanning such fears can be a way for would-be holders of power (material, spiritual or both) to attract followers and keep them in line. And to the believer, faith is often seen as the only true antidote to fear.

Indeed, very close to the essence of all the monotheistic faiths is the proposition that fear of God (not cowering terror but awe, reverence, a sense of humanity's smallness) is the only fear worth feeling; and that to live, appropriately, in that sort of fear can drive away all other kinds. The Hebrew prophets stood fearlessly before kings and earthly enemies, but trembled before God. The Koran also has a lot to say about "fear of God" and there is a positive word for that state of mind, takwa, which has overtones of "protection"; it suggests that to live in correct fear of God is to enjoy a state of protection from other dangers, above all the danger of falling into sin. Another word, khawfun, seems to indicate fear in a more negative sense, the kind of dread from which well-founded fear of God can rescue us. In a famous passage, both forms occur: "Surely no dread (khawfun) comes upon the friends of God, nor do they grieve; the ones who believe and fear (yattaqoon, ie feel takwa for) God.

If all that sounds a bit remote from the ancient see of Canterbury, think of the broadly similar sentiment in a homely English hymn: "Fear Him [God] ye saints, and you will then have nothing else to fear..." In many different languages, the even simpler spiritual message, "do not fear!", has resonated for people of Christian heritage: it recalls the message of their founder to his followers floundering on a choppy sea, or the reassurance of the angel to the shepherds near Bethlehem after their terrifying nocturnal vision. Pope John Paul II changed history by declaring "do not fear" to his Polish compatriots, rising up against communism, in 1979; and the poet Seamus Heaney, a product of an Irish Catholic culture that worshipped in Latin, texted the reassuring words "Noli timere" to his family in his dying moments. When Franklin Roosevelt, addressing his depression-hit compatriots in 1933, declared that "the only thing we have to fear is...fear itself," this was a message with spiritual overtones, not just a promise of a new economic policy.

In fairness to Archbishop Welby, he was speaking about fear in a secular context. Doubtless if the occasion demanded, he would do a fine job of delving into the profounder things that his faith has to say on the subject, for example the sonorous injunction that "perfect love casts out fear." And when a religious leader speaks to a secular publication in a not-very-religious age, he probably feels duty bound to keep the tone as down-to-earth as possible. But at times of collective anxiety, people of many faiths and none might also be receptive to some deeper reflections on the subject of fear and hope. "Capacity" in the shape of facilities to receive asylum-seekers and refugees is of course a very important thing. But "hope", if only as a description of human resilience that can emerge in circumstances far more dreadful than today's, goes a bit further than that. And fear, too, goes deeper than fretting about fresh trade barriers or pressure on public housing.

*****

'What took you so long?' Archbishop of Canterbury says it's NOT racist to fear migration but Iain Duncan Smith says his 'rational' comments have come too late

Archbishop of Canterbury says people are entitled to fear migrant influx
Said it was 'absolutely outrageous' to condemn those concerned as racist
Justin Welby said it was essential 'genuine fear' people felt was listened to
Archbishop said resources should put in place to address their concerns
Leading Brexit campaigner Iain Duncan Smith welcomes his intervention
But former Tory leader says they should have come 'many years before'

By Matt Dathan, and James Slack
The Mail
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/
March 11, 2016

Iain Duncan Smith welcomed the Archbishop of Canterbury's declaration that Britain has a 'genuine and justified' fear of mass immigration but asked why it had taken him so long to speak out.

The country's most senior churchman said last night that it was 'absolutely outrageous' to dismiss the public's legitimate concerns over mass immigration as racist.

Archbishop Justin Welby warned: 'There is a genuine fear. And it is really important that that fear is listened to and addressed. There have to be resources put in place that address those fears.'

He added: 'What happens about housing? What happens about jobs? What happens about access to health services?'

This morning Mr Duncan Smith described his comments as 'rational' but said they should have come 'many, many years before'.

The Work and Pensions Secretary, one of the leading Brexit campaigners, said political elites under Tony Blair's premiership had 'shut down the debate' on immigration for years and had branded anyone raising concerns about immigration as 'racist'.

He said the failure of anyone leading public institutions - including the Church - to defend the public's concern about migration had allowed groups with 'nasty motives' to exploit the issue.

'I think these are rational comments from the Archbishop and are to be welcomed, but, you know, you wonder just how late they have come from various people in institutions,' Mr Duncan Smith told the Today programme.

'This should have been the case many, many years before but shutting it down has been terrible for the British people,' he added.

Campaign groups have welcomed the Archbishop's powerful intervention as a 'marvellous breath of fresh air'. It comes after years in which the liberal Left has attacked those expressing concern about the unprecedented levels of immigration into Britain as bigots.

Archbishop Welby also revealed that the Church would not be taking a position in the EU referendum debate.

He was highly critical of Europe's response to the refugee crisis, but added: 'You can't say, 'God says you must vote this way or that way'.'

His comments came as:

Tony Blair urged David Cameron to show more passion in the EU debate
Mr Cameron claimed the cost of mortgages, socks and gloves would increase and UK farmers would take a £330million hit if we quit the Brussels club;
But the man in charge of Norway's £590billion sovereign wealth fund, the world's biggest, declared that it would continue to invest major sums here regardless of referendum outcome;
The European Central Bank was forced into yet more dramatic moves to shore up the struggling Eurozone, including printing more money;
Michael Gove was likened to a traitor by a Tory grandee and friend of the Royal Family for allegedly leaking the Queen's views on Brexit.
Mass immigration is fast becoming central to the debate, as concerns rise about the millions of migrants flooding into Europe.

Out campaigners have warned that, unless Britain votes to leave the EU, it can never regain control of its borders. Fears have also been raised about the added pressure which would be put on already stretched public services in the UK if more people are allowed to settle here.

In an interview with Parliament's House magazine, Archbishop Welby said: 'Fear is a valid emotion at a time of such colossal crisis. This is one of the greatest movements of people in human history. Just enormous. And to be anxious about that is very reasonable.

'There is a tendency to say 'those people are racist', which is just outrageous, absolutely outrageous.

'In fragile communities particularly -- and I've worked in many areas with very fragile communities as a clergyman -- there is a genuine fear: what happens about housing? What happens about jobs? What happens about access to health services?

'There have to be resources put in place that address those fears.

'But we have demonstrated this enormous capacity to deal with things...It is simply a question of the scale on which we are prepared to act, in a way that spreads the load so it can be managed.'

The comments will be seen by some as a U-turn by the Archbishop himself. Two years ago, he said it was wrong to view immigration as 'something that is somehow going to overwhelm' Britain.

At the time, his remarks were seen as a slap down to Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, who had just said that some communities feel 'swamped'.

Tory MP Peter Bone, a leading figure in the Grasssroots Out campaigning for Britain to leave the EU, welcomed Archbishop Welby's 'sensible comments'.

'When I speak to people after church on a Sunday, there are many who are very worried about uncontrolled migration from the EU and the strain it is having on our public services,' he said.

'It is vital that British voters are free to have a sensible debate over immigration in the run up to the EU referendum without fear of being branded racist.

'The Archbishop is right to ask what Britain's international attitude would be if British voters choose to leave the EU.

'A Britain outside of the EU would remain friends with our European neighbours and forge new friendships with the rest of the world.'

In last night's interview, Mr Welby appeared to condemn the EU's response to the migrant crisis. He said: 'The lack of a European solution is deepening the crisis very, very significantly.'

But he repeated his previous demands for Britain to take in more refugees. Mr Cameron has said the UK will take in 20,000 over the current Parliament.

He said: 'We have to play our part. I was in Germany last weekend doing some work with some churches there. The Germans took 1.1million last year. And it does make 20,000 over several years sound very thin.'

He admitted, however, that we 'have to be careful', adding: 'The Government is rightly concerned about effectively subsidising people smuggling.'

He said the EU debate 'should be about what we fear'. He added: 'Fear of what happens if we leave, fear of what happens if we stay...My hope and prayer is that we have a really visionary debate about what our country looks like.'

Last night former diplomat and founder of MigrationWatch Lord Green of Deddington welcomed the remarks on immigration.

He said: 'What a marvellous breath of fresh air. This is clearly an outstanding leader who listens carefully to his flock and understands their genuine concerns.'

END