I’m working through Peter Leithart’s new commentary on 1 John, From Behind the Veil. This is choice.

John Stott notes that 1 John 4:19 indicates that the church’s great characteristic is love, not fear. That is it should be. Is it? Hardly. Read the next piece of direct mail you get from some Christian advocacy group. Look at the listings in a Christian book catalog or bookstore. Analyze the rhetoric of your favorite Christan political figure. Read some of the web punditry about Barack Obama. Think of the conspiracy-mongering that gets mixed up with Christianity in many circles. How many dozens of Christian ministries contiune to exist only because of the fear they are able to generate? As Jesus didn’t say: you can tell a Christian by his fear.