Fear
We live in an interesting neighborhood. We are all on septic tanks, so our lots are all at least two acres. Add to that, we live on a road with only one way in or out and the dynamics start to come into play.
Most of my neighbors are our age or older, although that is starting to change as a few families with kids have moved in. One of my neighbors, whom I’ll refer to as Christine (name changed), has, in my view, made herself the neighborhood's political protector.
This started about 10 years ago when a bank (oh, the horror) tried to get the corner lot just outside our enclave rezoned from residential to commercial. I supported the proposal and would have been even more in favor if they had added a gas station and pizza joint to the development. I ultimately read that the proposal was rejected, so I would have to continue driving further to do my banking. (Eventually, a wealthier retiree bought the plot and built himself a nice but secluded house.)
Later, at our annual July 4th gathering, this same neighbor went around telling all of us she should be thanked for preventing the development and potentially introducing an undesirable element into our little island of the world. I didn’t, and still don’t, see how a bank might introduce an undesirable element to the neighborhood. A strip club, maybe.
Anyway, fast forward to today, and the current email flood in our neighborhood is about the proposed data center that is being discussed. Christine, again, is on the front line of preemptively deciding that a data center in the county will deplete available water and cause electricity shortages. From what I can tell from reading newspaper articles, those concerns are being discussed, addressed and mitigated as part of political conversations. I don’t feel like I have a “dog in the hunt,” so to speak, because I see the potential economic benefits of a new employer in our county, but I also see the potential concerns about water and electricity use.
You might be wondering how fear plays into this clearly political story. Well, Christine, whether her fears are real or imagined, is trying to use them to gather engagement to support her objective. I can only believe she truly, in her mind, was worried that a commercial development would attract people to our neighborhood that we don’t want (I’m assuming this is a criminal element), or that a data center would deplete the water resources or electricity availability we all depend on. In other words, I assume her intentions are good but are based solely on fear.
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:4-7 ESV
“I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” - 2 Timothy 1:3-7
“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.” - Romans 13:1-7
I have no idea if a data center will be built in our county, but it sure would have been nice to stop at the corner lot outside our neighborhood to fill up my vehicle and grab a pizza for dinner.
