Of a Good Courage

Yes, what the world needs now is love.  And also courage. 

Joshua 1:8-9

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

We think of having courage as having no fear -- but that's not so.  Bravery is not the absence of fear.  It is the willingness to face what one fears.  Often, we think of firefighters, police officers, and soldiers as being courageous, walking into burning buildings, chasing down bad guys, putting their lives on the line in horrific combat.  I say that the men and women who do these things out of real love -- in order to save the helpless and protect the innocent, defending others with their own life's blood if need be -- they are, indeed, courageous.  Heroes.  But, those who, through a kind of arrogance, force themselves to walk into danger for their own vainglory -- well, there's no courage in that.  Only willfulness. 

For where there is no real love, there is no real courage.

If you're willing to face what is scary because you're figuring that you will profit somehow by it, then you are simply gambling.  You are taking a risk, a mighty huge risk that may give you some trepidation, but one that is calculated toward a particular reward.  I don't mean that there is anything wrong with this boldness in and of itself (although, there may certainly be something wrong about the means and/or the end) I just mean to say that it isn't the holy kind of courage akin to a life of divine virtue.  The holy kind of courage is the kind spoken of in the Bible.  It's what Christ has.  It's what the Holy Spirit can inspire in each and every one of us.

Let's think for a moment about everyday courage, which is, quite possibly, the best kind of courage there is.  Perhaps, you will never have the opportunity to run into or flee from a burning building with people trapped inside, perhaps you'll never come face-to-face with a gunman.  Chances are, you probably won't.  But, every so often, perhaps every day, you will have to spend time with someone that you don't like.  Or you will come to a merger with a stranger in line or in traffic.  Or you'll be disappointed by something that you tried and failed. Or you will be slighted by someone that you love.  Or you'll get sick.  What then?  What will you do?

Will you be strong and of a good courage and listen to that person that you don't like for his or her own sake, attentive to his or her needs? 

Will you defer to that stranger in line or in traffic with no expectations of thanks or even acknowledgment, sacrificing your moment for the stranger’s? 

Will you accept your own failures, setbacks, and disappointment and keep trying to do what you believe is right even though you know that you may never succeed? 

Will you forgive the slight of your loved one and not hold it in grudge? 

Will you patiently bear your sickness in a kind of loving solidarity with all people who suffer, without lashing out to make others near you feel pain? 

Do you have the courage to face your fears, to face your dislikes, irritations, annoyances, and sufferings, out of real love and concern for someone other than yourself?  If so, if you find yourself practicing some small, everyday sacrifice for love, then, my friend, you are courageous.  You are a hero.  A hero that will never receive an award or accolade, a hero that may never even be recognized, not even by himself or herself, as a hero -- but who will be known as a hero in that moment through the eternal reaches beyond time and space.

Actions speak so much louder than words.  And the smallest actions can resound the most greatly.  All teachings of goodness and justice, of mercy and compassion, of helpfulness and healing, are not taught in order to be taught.  All wise and loving teachings must be meditated upon, must be pondered in the heart and taken to heart, so that they may be lived. 

If you ever find yourself in a situation where you know that if you do what is truly right and good you will probably suffer in doing it -- and then you do it anyway... that, my friend, is real love.  Real courage.  Because real love requires a good courage.  Will you be eternally rewarded for it?  Some say that you will.  Some say that you will not.  Do it anyway.

Unpublished work © 2014 Christina Chase