Coulrophobia: the phobia of clowns. I believe my Dad has this. I also believe, after these past few weeks, students, children, parents, teachers, and the like, all now suffer from coulrophobia. Yet from this current clown epidemic, Christ is still central, glorified, and in control, lest we forget. And, as He is such a patient and caring teacher, God teaches lessons to His children through current events and chaos, even through clown pandemonium.

These clowns offer a substantial look at an applicable analogy. One reader may scoff and with feelings of pique offer a retort such as, “Analogy? Like the clowns represent what we’re afraid of or something?” Well, yes. But this analogy runs deeper than merely addressing fear. Not only can we use an analogy of these clowns to take a better look at our fear, but at our fallen society, at our human depravity, and at our sin. These clowns are not to be taken lightly, nor are any of the aforementioned.  

I learn best through analogy. Whether it be in reading a textbook, listening to a lecture, or reading my Bible, I understand most clearly when an analogy is used. And in approaching many of these current events, such as the clown scare, I seek a way to use these current events as a means to relate it to something in my life. Disclaimer: I am not seeking to over-spiritualize anything; I am merely seeking a way to look beyond the despair of events, and instead find hope embedded within a lesson these events offer.

Last night, as I was busy getting ready for the following school day, I realized I needed something from the living room in my apartment. With my roommates tucked safely into their beds, I walked into the complete darkness of the living room, and proceeded to cringe at my own wildly imaginative vision of a clown sitting on the couch waiting for me (to kill me obviously). Was there a clown waiting for me in the dark? As you can imagine, no, there was not. Had I reached a point where I was consumed with thinking about this clown scare, so consumed that I was actually fearful in the silence and stillness of my own apartment? Yes, I had reached that point.

Laughing nervously at my foolishness while turning on the light, I thought of the other issues that tend to “scare” me, issues I tend to imagine doing a greater harm to me than they actually can. Paper deadlines, grades, other’s opinions—all of these things may be my fears, but they actually hold no power over me. They are powerless because of victory in Christ’s death and resurrection, a victory over fear providing access to peace.

Clowns, deadlines, grades, people—all of these life elements may scare us, but as children of God we do not have to fear them. Whether we are struggling to finish a paper, analyzing the depravity of humanity, or afraid of seeing someone dressed as a clown walking through campus, God is in control of it all, and cares for our different fears and concerns. He offers us peace, fulfillment, and courage in the face of any fear.