Inbox Inspiration: Courage and Thanksgiving Day: November 21, 2018

Courage and Thanksgiving Day

Dear Friends, 
Two months ago, I read an article about courage.
The author makes an interesting distinction between courage and toughness.
Courage is the virtue that leads us to do what is right even when that is difficult.
It emboldens us to speak out against injustice.
It empowers us to work for the common good of all.
It moves us to act out of moral conviction even when we incur rejection.
In contrast to this, toughness is not cited as a Christian virtue.
Usually, toughness means doing whatever I can do to get my own way.
It is often self-serving and lacking a firm moral base.
Frequently it is characterized by insensitivity to others, especially to the poor and vulnerable.
On this day before Thanksgiving, I propose the above as a helpful reminder.
We need to cultivate the virtue of courage (not toughness) to follow the way of Jesus.
This virtue is an important way to give thanks to God for all of our blessings.

“Christianity places the virtue of courage at the service of mercy. Mercy, for Christ, is the key form of human strength. It takes a strong character both to forgive and to ask for forgiveness. It takes courage to be truly meek, patient, and humble…The courage to be merciful is not grounded in mere sociability, niceness, or enlightened self-interest, but rather in the Cross. The Christian paradigm of courage lies in Jesus’ willingness to remain true to God even when doing so required him to go through horrific torture and a humiliating death.” 
From “No Mercy? We Need Courage, Not Toughness” by Stephen J. Pope (Professor of Theological Ethics at Boston College) in Commonweal, September 7, 2018.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. Amen. 
Father Michael Schleupner