Pursuing more takes courage. Courage in the context of pursuit is a combination of belief, trust, and the willingness to act knowing that things may not work. Giving birth to different ideas requires courage. Trying to make a difference takes courage. Doing the right thing often demands courage.
I see examples of courage around me. Embracing the best of the other takes courage, especially if it is a community center and Mosque in lower Manhattan. Implementing a new business model takes courage, especially when the individuals that should be supporting the process are focused on personal agendas. Staying true to yourself takes courage, especially if there is a risk that your community will reject you.
Courage is never easy. Life can be harsh. Life extracts a price from everyone. Each struggles in the hell of her/his creation. Courage, by definition, requires belief, trust, and the willingness to act when everything is at stake.
I would like to remind you that courage, in itself, has its own reward. I find that exercising courage brings hope. Hope in turn gives courage the energy to go on.
Calls to courage take many forms. One approach is as a Wisdom Father; “All of us who look forward to his [God’s] Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus’ life as a model for our own.” (1 John 3.3) Another is as a cheerleader. “Stand up! We represent all that is good and true! Our cause is noble. Our purpose is honorable.”
Life and living can be defined by our response to calls to courage. It is in this, that I find the underlying truth to courage. Being courageous is not something I do for myself. Others may benefit, however the motivation comes from within. It is my response to a call to belief. It is the outcome of trusting in what I hold to be true. It is a reflection of the call we have to make (be) a difference.
Great acts of courage come in the quiet moments of the day when nobody notices what I am doing.
