My wife Lori and I recently watched an old documentary on the History channel about the Nazi regime’s takeover of Germany in the late 1930s. We both were astounded with how easily Hitler and his party could overcome the minds of the German people. Afterward, we discussed how this could happen, and our conversation brought us to two conclusions.

First, we concluded fear clearly set these people up for the false security even evil can bring. And secondly, we decided that fearful emotions are contagious and depression’s fear is more contagious.

The whole German nation, which was depressed on every level, had grown fearful of starving and impoverishment due to the horrendous effect of World War I. The nation was fearful and resentful of its loss of respect and they were fearful due to inflation and lack of food. Hitler annulled this fear by the promises of his socialist party bringing prosperity. Fear and anger can set people up to feel comfortable with evil—and it can spread like wildfire. You could see in the very movements of the crowd and the expressions on their faces that the combined effects of their fears were nearly superhuman. The superhuman ability for Hitler to annihilate these fears and assuage them was intoxicating to their fearful hearts.

If a Christian organization, whether it be a church or a ministry, takes some serious blows to their confidence and they become rattled, fear will fill the void lost courage leaves. And this fear will be contagious. Fear has its own special way of spreading through a group. Leading churches effectively out of inner conflict caused by fear requires knowing how fear spreads.