The Root of All Evil

The Scripture says that the love of money is the root of all evil. It has struck me recently that money certainly plays a part, but that its pursuit has a deeper base: the fear of being without it. It is what money can save us from that is its attraction and why it becomes the focus of so much prayer and effort. Poverty, hunger, inconvenience and ill health are all alleviated by money and so the desire for it has the potential of squashing a concern for others and ruining relationships.

In actuality though, it is fear, not the love of money, that is at  the root of all evil. Abraham Maslow constructed his Hierarchy of Needs in 1943 as a way of explaining human motivation. Fear pervades each rung. Our most basic needs are bodily - food, water and sleep. Until these are met, people are a threat because they stand in the way of our own existence. We want to alleviate the fear of our own imminent death.

The next step in the hierarchy is our need for Safety. We cannot enjoy what we have until we are sure that we will not be harmed in the process of enjoying it. Once that is accomplished, there is a need for Love and Belonging. We fear being alone. After people are welcomed into our lives, there is a need for their Esteem. We fear being abandoned.

Finally, there is what he called Self Actualization which is our quest for knowledge and personal achievement. This is closely related to the need to be seen as worthwhile, but this need also relates to our desire to feel equipped to handle all the dangers that might come at us in life.

Thus, fear is the driver behind our needs and fear is the explanation of the behaviors that mar our relationships. Fear is misery, not iniquity. Fear needs healing, not judgment.

Genesis tells us that Adam and Eve hid from God because they were afraid. St. John's gospel tells us that God is the answer to our fears, not their punisher: "Perfect love casts out fear." Where God is, there is no room for fear. God's light outshines any darkness. So, if we are afraid, it is because we are not letting God into the problem.

 Likewise, our quest to become more perfect lovers ourselves will be more successful if we put aside our fear of others and see the God within them instead. Jesus said the Law could be summed up in two sentences: Love God. Love your neighbor. What He also said makes the first two possible: Fear not.