A little boy Sat on a wooden pew Feet Not touching The floor He heard The preacher say Fear God ... So he leaned Toward his mother And whispered Why? ... She looked down Shhh Listen ... Fear God The voice said again Fear God Fear God Fear God ... And somewhere Inside the little body The old alarm Heard Danger ... ALARM ... But the boy Was confused Because last week They told him God is love ... So he whispered again If God is love Why am I Supposed to be Afraid of Him? ... His mother Held his hand Not now ... But the question Didn't leave ... It followed him Home Into bed Into the dark Into prayer ... Dear God Please Don't be angry ... Please Forgive me ... Please Don't hurt My family ... Please Don't send me Away ... Please Don't let me Die Before I make Everything right ... And the ancient body Listening To every word Learned something new ... The lion Was everywhere ... You could hide From a storm Run From an animal Lock a door Against a stranger ... But where Do you hide From God? ... ALARM ... Heaven Above Hell Below God Everywhere ... No door No cave No night No distance ... Nowhere The little frightened person Could go Where God Wasn't ... Years passed The boy Got taller His feet Touched the floor ... But somewhere Inside him That child Was still asking Why? ... If God Is love Why Does love Need me afraid? ... If perfect love Casteth out fear Why did fear Bring me To perfect love? ... If fear Hath torment Why would torment Be the road Home? ... He opened The book Not the commentary The book ... God Is love ... There is No fear In love ... Perfect love Casteth out fear ... Because fear Hath torment ... He stopped ... Read it again ... There is No fear In love ... No fear In love ... Then what Had I been Afraid of? ... God? ... Or the picture I was given Of God? ... Oh ... The same thing We have been doing This whole album ... A sound A thought A warning A picture And then ALARM ... What if God Is angry? ALARM What if God Rejects me? ALARM What if I believe The wrong thing? ALARM What if I die Before I fix it? ALARM ... What if ... There you are Again ... The oldest whisper In the album Standing In a church ... But wait ... Moses asked Who are you? ... And the Fire said I AM THAT I AM ... Being ... Jesus said God Is Spirit ... And scripture says In Him We live And move And have Our being ... So the boy Who became a man Asked one more question ... If I live In Him Where exactly Am I supposed To run? ... Silence ... No thunder No threat No roar ... Just breath ... In Out ... Life ... And suddenly The question changed ... Not How do I escape An angry God? ... But What if I have spent My life Being afraid Of a picture ... A picture Drawn by frightened people Handed To frightened children Protected By frightened adults Generation After generation ... And called God ... The boy Inside the man Looks up ... God? ... Are You The thing I was taught To fear? ... Or are You The Life That has been here While I was Afraid? ... No answer Falls from the sky ... But something Strange happens ... The alarm Doesn't go off ... For the first time The word God Doesn't sound Like danger ... It sounds Like I AM ... Like breath ... Like Being ... Like Life ... And somewhere A little boy On a wooden pew Finally Lets his feet Swing ... There is No fear In love ... Maybe He heard it Right The first time ... Why Would I be Afraid Of Love?
