by Steve Burden

Created on: November 15, 2010

Courage enjoys the lofty status of being one of the original virtues as laid down by the Church Fathers. Classically, it was considered to give some protection against evil. To this day, evil prowls around, seeking whom it might devour, and we see its rotten fruit in the media, on our streets. With just a rumour of an international atrocity or even some local violence, we are gripped with fear and desperately seek whatever comfort and security we can find.

By its nature, evil is intimidating. It makes us feel small and powerless, and loves to keep the sensation of fear never far from our consciousness. For some life is moulded by fear, and is devoid of any form of positive affirmation or encouragement. Confidence, so natural to a secure child, can so easily, be nipped in the bud by the evils of intimidation and cruelty. 

It takes courage to stand and face such cruel odds and it is remarkable that some are even able to try! But thankfully, history is peppered with heroism. The graphic imagery of an unlikely outcome to a set of unpromising events, is such that it becomes the stuff of legend and folklore. It is even more extraordinary, when it is fact. Undoubtedly, there are many stories that have never been told, many cases of extreme bravery and personal stoicism that would, if told, have us weeping in pools of emotion and astonishment.

We humans feel pain acutely, but we also are able to identify and empathise with the underdog in any scenario. We all feel elation when the final victory goes to the one-time victim of ridicule and mockery. Good conquers evil. One of humanity's most enduring of story-lines, is thus, because it resonates with something deep in our nature. It seems to confirm what we feel in our spirits: that in our world of conflict and dis-peace, the 'good' should ultimately have the upper hand and that 'peace' should be the default condition of human society.

Courage is a fundamental element of faith in action. So much so, that it takes courage to believe, that in our troubled and fragmented world, good may yet prevail. It will take courage for leaders - religious and political - to reach out the hand of friendship to one-time opponents. It will take courage lay weapons of war down and do away with traditional hostilities. It will take courage, on our tiny globe, to embrace each other as brothers and sisters.

Courage will always side with the underdog when the underdog is in the right. Let us all then, take courage and work for the future of our children's children, that there might be peace!

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