The barracuda is in common lore a fearsome creature : often more than four feet long; shiny- silvery colored; thin, sleek and pointed like a torpedo; a wide mouth angled upward, filled with several rows of razor sharp teeth; hanging perfectly horizontal and stock still suspended in the water column. The very sight of one is intimidating indeed. And its behavior is even more threatening. It has a habit of stalking a diver as he swims along, often at close range, and never seems to back off unless the diver gets very, very near. Large ones are usually solitary and smaller ones oftern congregate in large schools hanging in the water like an invading armada waiting to attack. Either alone or ina a group, it is no wonder the barracuda has garnered a reputation for invoking terror.

Here's the thing: barracudas are wusses! They are in reality meek and mild mannered in regards to human beings. They don't stalk divers - they are merely attracted to shiny things and very curious. Built for speed to glide through the water, they are mostly quiescent because they are quite lazy. Except for the smaller fish which make up their diet, they are harmless and innocuous. I have personally hand fed barracuda over three feet long, and have been so mired while hanging on a safety stop within a school of them that my buddy 10 feet away couldn't see me. The threat is apparent, not real; perceived, not actual.

Many of the anxieties and fears of our daily lives fall in this category - we are frightened by the perception of a threat, when there is no real danger. We generate our own terror from within, rather than being put at risk from without. As Jesus once said: "Fear is useless. What is needed is faith." Whenever we scare ourselves with some life situation (and we keep in mind especially this week the anniversary of the 9 /11/01 terrorists' attack on our country,) remember barracudas.