Recently, a commentator on NPR observed that voters are being motivated by fear.

Impeachment activity, the president’s tweets and conduct grossly incompatible with the presidency, presidential primary debates, climate change, health care, and barriers to immigrants and asylum seekers are among the issues challenging the values and spirit of this holiday season. They contribute to an increased flood of lies, equivocation, hesitation, moderation, mistrust, mean-spirited relationships and fear.

Even shifting our attention to Frosty and Rudolf, chestnuts roasting on an open fire, a partridge in a pear tree, parades, tree lightings, and 50% off glitzy gifts at this “most wonderful time of the year” cannot completely overcome the fear and the erosion of trust existing just below the surface of our holiday fervor.

Nor does proclaiming over and over, “peace, joy, and good will toward all people,” alleviate the wariness that possibly we “protest too much.”

Perhaps there is a more effective way to affirm the values and proclamations of this holiday season. Underlying Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions are the encouraging words, “Do not be afraid!”

For example, they are spoken before the announcement that Abraham and Sarah will have a child in their old age who will be the beginning of a great nation. They are spoken before the announcement of the birth of Jesus, who will proclaim good news for the poor and freedom for the oppressed. However, the good news is always followed by fearful implications.

There is good reason for the assurance, “Do not be afraid.” The message announces the onset of a great struggle against dominating powers of war, corruption, greed, suffering, and injustice. It projects massive abrupt change subject to accusations of being unrealistic, improbable, and even impossible. Justice and dignity for all human beings and the integrity of the environment does not come easily.

In the current political climate, fear drives hesitation to embrace such significant change. Fear of losing an election or an ultimate objective, raises caution flags to warn of risks in abrupt changes. Fear reigns when legislators and political candidates consider taking positions that will be perceived as unrealistic or divisive. Voters seek middle ground candidates in the political mainstream that they believe can win against feared opponents.

The current wisdom suggests caution is the key to success. A radical position labeled as unable to attract votes from the opposition political party is considered unrealistic. To avoid defeat, many are saying it is only realistic to take tiny steps toward the solutions to comprehensive problems.

However, “reality” has two sides: the reality of taking time for incremental steps toward achievable solutions, or the reality that there is little time left.

Climate change, nuclear arms modernization, lack of universal health care contributing to death and disability, climate refugees and asylum seekers fleeing into camps and cages, the United States military in multiple wars and deployments, and a stagnate Congress are problems not waiting for political and international expedience. There is no time left to fret over who is too liberal or too conservative to win an election.

UN chief Antonio Guterres said, there is not time to take “the path of surrender, where we … sleepwalk past the point of no return, jeopardizing the health and safety of everyone on this planet. Do we really want to be remembered as the generation that buried its head in the sand, that fiddled while the planet burned?”

The call for revolutionary change is fearful, the intent and methods suspect. However, the objective of peace on Earth, good will to all people is fearless.

The fearless alternative is to let the unrealistic, improbable, and even impossible take root in our lives and our politics. Look for candidates who fearlessly tell us their aspirations and what they believe, eschewing the pressure to say only what fearful people want to hear.

Candidates and others speaking honestly and with an urgency for health, well-being, and peace with justice for all people will help to recover trust and ease fear among us. Seek candidates and support leaders who fearlessly embrace the uncertainty of radical change for peace with justice for all people.

Support candidates and leaders who refuse to equivocate on the issues or attack competition. Support those who are willing to accept some personal and community sacrifice as well as express compassion for people at risk.

Some difficult fearful times are ahead of us this coming year. Heeding the call to abandon political caution, pursue honesty and transparency, and resist attacking one another will give reality to the spirit of the holiday season’s proclamation, “Do not be afraid.”

Perhaps we will discover reality in the unrealistic, probability in the improbable, and even possibility in the impossible: “peace on earth and good will to all people.”

(The Rev. John Buttrick, United Church of Christ, lives in Concord.)