The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
The seed of wisdom may be born of fear, but its roots and its fruit are found in love.
Where fear of punishment festers, true wisdom cannot reign. Each action is driven by a primal instinct to avoid pain and suffering. And yet where love flourishes, the effort is motivated by a desire to make the other satisfied.
Love is selfless. Love is an ability. And the finest gems of wisdom are found not in cowering and trembling, but in the selfless desire to put the other above the self.
Fear is relieved at distance and separation, and yet love cannot be fully quenched without intimacy. Love is both the murmur and the shout, the thin line between fury and passion. Love is the other; fear is the self. Love in its essence is irrational; fear is rational.
Love is a pure heart. “A pure heart create for me, oh God, and a spirit that is steadfast renew within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and the Spirit of Your holiness do not take from me.” (Psalm 51:12)
Fear is a heart which knows its own guilt but shies away from God.
We must understand fear before we can truly grasp love. Without first knowing fear, and subsequently overcoming it, we can never truly love.
Love engulfs fear with quiet serenity, recognizing its futility.
Love is the path to the ultimate, the way to eternal life. Love is the well-known secret which sustains those who understand its power.
Love plants its roots and bears its fruits a hundredfold, feeding all who seek it.
Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. But love is the journey, and love is the end.
The Singing Soul 