The furgon (taxi van) in which I am crammed begins to accelerate as it approaches the bus ahead. “Surely the driver won’t attempt to pass him on this blind curve!” I think as he taps his horn to alert the bus driver to make some room on the narrow, winding road. The odds of a fatal head-on collision are high. Is he, along with many other Albanian drivers, maybe a little suicidal? The unconcerned expressions on the other passengers’ faces puzzle me. Don’t they have any fear? We edge past the bus and immediately swerve back into our lane, narrowly avoiding disaster.

As the tightly packed passengers sway and bounce in unison along the bumpy road, I notice the many roadside memorials for loved ones lost in accidents. I think back to a recent trip when another furgon driver slammed on his brakes at the last moment after realizing his vehicle wouldn’t fit between a donkey cart and oncoming traffic. The passengers calmly picked themselves up off the floorboards. One older woman muttered as she brushed off her skirt, clearly more concerned with dirt than danger.

Later, as we entered a small city, I observed a common occurrence. A young woman turned her face away from traffic and stepped out to cross a busy road, as though she didn’t want to see what was about to hit her. She wasn’t harmed, but it always makes me wonder what goes through people’s minds when they do that. The leading causes of death in this country are accidents and suicides. Sometimes it must be difficult to decide which is which.

Studying the history of the Albanian people, I have learned that they have always been regarded as fearless, especially in war. But as I look deeper, I’m discovering that many Albanians are actually controlled by fear. Many people live in dread of spiritual forces. The charms they hang in their shops and outside their houses are meant to keep away the curses of the evil eye. Even religious items such as the Koran and icons seem to be used primarily to drive away evil spirits.

Most Albanians fear what neighbors will say or think about them. They work hard to disguise their fear and shame. They are besieged by hopelessness, afraid things won’t change. They’re also uncertain about the future, afraid things will change. They fear things that are too good because they believe evil will certainly come to balance things out. They fear certain dreams and omens. They fear losing their minds. They are afraid to trust others. The high walls around their homes with broken glass imbedded in the top and the bars on their windows testify to their not-unfounded fear of theft and home invasion. They are afraid of being afraid. These and other fears control the actions of many and make them slaves.

The saddest thing is that they are afraid of knowing the One who will set them free if they will let Him. How can they get close to Someone they fear? They would rather deny His existence and ignore Him or keep Him at a distance by performing rites and rituals meant to appease Him. Is this a remnant of their Illyrian ancestors’ pagan practices aimed at keeping their scary gods away from them?
Pray that God will reveal His character of love to the Albanian people and that they will be drawn close to Him. Then they can experience the deep peace that comes from knowing and trusting Him, even in life’s storms. Hope will revive their brave hearts, and they will find their purpose and calling.

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