US Senate Chaplain Barry C. Black has spent his whole life facing down fearful things. He encourages us that, as followers of Jesus, we truly have nothing to fear. He shares three stores that highlight the importance of fearing God above the threat and judgments of the world.

“My siblings and I, and my family, we were evicted from our home, our furniture set out on the street, three times before my thirteenth birthday. Imagine coming home from school and your furniture is out on the street. That’s a predatory world.”

“And yet, looking back, it astounds me that my siblings and I never had anxiety and fear. Because of our relationship with my mother. We knew Mom would find some place for us to stay tonight. Mom’s got our backs. Mom will take care of us. So even in the midst of poverty, there was no fear. In the same way, my relationship to Jesus Christ makes it so, why would I fear?”

Chaplain Black expands on the point by taking us on a trek.

“I was in the Grand Cayman Islands, and the individual that was introducing me there – this was during the presidential primaries – was making fun of the ebb and flow of the presidential primaries. Everybody was chuckling.”

“When I got up, I changed my introduction. I said, ‘I don’t know what god you worship here on Grand Cayman. But the God I worship back in America, we sing a hymn about Him: This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’r forget, that though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.’

He takes us to Washington D.C.,

“When I was interviewed for the job of Chaplain of the Senate, they said, ‘Now, Chaplain. We know you’re a Two Star Admiral, but Senators are very important people. Are you sure you will not be intimidated by our lawmakers?’

I said, ‘It’s been mentioned that I worked for Four Star Admirals, and I’m a Two Star Admiral. It is very difficult to be intimidated by someone with three or four stars, when before you left home you talked to the one who made the stars.


Barry C. Black is the chaplain of the United States Senate. Before his ministry in Washington, he served for decades in the United States Navy – rising to the rank of Two Star Admiral & Chief of Chaplains. His latest book is called .

On the Road with Barry C. Black