The Virtue of Courage

We can only be brave because we can be hurt: bravery means triumphing despite vulnerability. Danger & fear are well known to all animals; they are the consequences of mortality. Every Christian is called to be willing to undergo danger, even death, for the ultimate good - a willingness rarely put to the test. The spirit of martyrdom, however, is not enthusiasm for suffering but a love for the good so strong that one will choose to suffer rather than to cooperate in evil.

Courageous people characteristically reject cowardice, & also recklessness: recklessness has lost more battles than cowardice. To be courageous is to avoid such extremes & instead to judge intelligently how to respond to fear & danger. Sometimes this will involve turning the other cheek; but it will never involve completely conquering fear.

Being detached enough from one’s life to be ready to give it up for the sake of the good is unfashionable in a consumerist age; many today equate morality simply with good social-work skills. Nevertheless, superhuman courage & martyrdom still occur, & modern ‘role-models’ in this area should be cherished by Christians.