Too often we consider courage as something reserved for the battlefield while we civilians go about our daily lives simply trying to survive and, maybe, thrive. We applaud the bravery of the soldier but forget that each of us, no matter our station or vocation, is called by God to live a life of courage.
“But I’m not the fearless kind!” you may say. “I don’t live for adventure and adrenaline, seeking dragons to slay!”
That’s actually okay. Courage requires fear. If you have no fear, what is there to overcome?
Of the four Cardinal Virtues identified by the Ancient Greeks and celebrated throughout Christian tradition, Courage ranks third after Prudence and Justice with Temperance bringing up the rear.
In living a life of virtue, we must first be prudent or wise in our words and actions. What we do should then be done with justice; we must give to each his due. But as we all know, even in our common, day-to-day lives, simply being prudent and just – as good as they are – doesn’t exempt us from danger, conflict, or evil. That’s where courage comes in.
We live in a fallen world, one in which evil is more than the balancing of the good as in a yin-yang, Taoist philosophy. Every man is born with a twisted nature, capable of both good and evil. While you may seek the good and work to resist evil, there are many who do not, particularly in this paganized, secular era. There are also times when life is simply dangerous, and you must make a choice.
So what then is courage? Simply put, courage is doing what is right and just – the good – despite fear of pain, loss, or even death. It is not brashness or fearlessness.
Each man has things he loves: his life, his family, his belongings, his status, and so on. In his daily life he seeks to protect and build upon what he loves while fearing their loss. But above all those possessions, a virtuous man must love God and the good.
In any number of situations, we may be confronted by danger, conflict, or evil, and we must decide what we will do. Perhaps your child is threatened by a loose dog, perhaps your boss or coworker asks you to do something unethical, perhaps you learn of corruption in your school, local government, or church, or perhaps you discover a friend is cheating – on a test or a spouse. Do you turn your back? Do you remain silent? Do you go along to get along?
You recognize that if you confront what’s happening you may be bitten, lose your job, have your reputation destroyed, or find yourself ostracized by those closest to you. You are truly fearful, but you know what should be done if you love the good and seek to protect what you love.
“It is for facing what is painful … that men are called brave,” Aristotle wrote in his Nicomachean Ethics. “Hence also courage involves pain and is justly praised; for it is harder to face what is painful than to abstain from what is pleasant.”
The reason for suffering pain is because at the core of courage is love. The soldier on the battlefield loves what he defends: his family, his country, his home. As J. R. R. Tolkien wrote in The Two Towers via Faramir, "I do not love the sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend." To protect what he loves, the soldier willingly suffers and may even give his life.
Just because you are not a soldier does not mean you are not also called to protect what you love. It may be something so simple as a father who fears dogs stepping between his daughter and a rogue mutt threatening to maul her. He overcomes his fear because it is his duty to protect his child; he loves his daughter more than himself.
Far more often, though, you will find yourself in situations that force you to decide between your love of God and the good, and love for your belongings, status, and reputation. These are the moral conflicts that confront each of us throughout our lives. Some may seem minor while others are of grave importance. Regardless, you must decide if you are willing to suffer pain and overcome your fear of that pain on behalf of God and the quest to uphold the good.
We all recognize that we live in a time of chaos, corruption, and deceit. We want someone to come in and make things right. Alas, if we want to restore the moral order, it starts with each of us, no matter our station or vocation in life. Each of us must love the good and be courageous in all we do.
Devin Foley is the COO of 1819 News and the father of seven children.
This article was originally published in 1819 News: The Magazine. Republication was made possible by The Fred & Rheta Skelton Center for Cultural Renewal, a project of 1819 News. To comment on this article, please email [email protected].
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News.
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