Moral Courage

Malala Yousafzai is one of the current faces of moral courage. Malala, a Pakistani student, stood up for her beliefs and got shot by the Taliban. She survived her injuries and continues to speak up for the right of young girls to be educated. Although she has gained popularity worldwide, she was considered an upstart and rebel by her own community.

Robert Kennedy was also known for speaking out against injustice. He was assassinated for his beliefs.

“Few men are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of their society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change a world which yields most painfully to change.” (Robert Kennedy)

Moral courage is standing up for what you believe is right, even if that means being criticized or ostracized by those around you. Whenever you question the traditional standards of your family, friends, or community, there is bound to be conflict. Yet, when you fail to stand up for your civil rights, but, instead, go along with the status quo—so as to avoid friction, criticism, or societal ostracization—then you are displaying moral cowardice. You might justify it as ‘picking your battles,’ or ‘trying to keep peace,’ or ‘not wanting to rock the boat,’ but, in reality, it is just that you don’t want to face the displeasure and disapproval of those around you.

I am learning to accept conflict as a byproduct of moral courage. I expect it. I prepare to deal with it. Any time I stand up for my values, there will be some backlash from those who have a different perspective. Bring it on! 

“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.” (Steve Jobs)

Great Minds

During the summer, beaches and swimming pools are crowded. Many people just stay lounging on the beach chairs, occasionally dipping their feet in the water. Some parents with young children splash around in the shallow end of the pool. There are very few people swimming. Most are there to stay cool, to have fun, to admire and be admired. Most of us know how to swim. We get dressed in swimsuits and show up at the beach or swimming pool. Yet we choose not to swim. We are too image-conscious to mess up our hair or makeup; we came to have a good time, to chill—not to exert ourselves.

When you get together with friends and family, what do you discuss? Do you talk about food, the day’s events, the weather, other people, politics, current events, accomplishments, or acquisitions? Do these conversations lead to a deeper understanding of higher truths? Or are you content to splash around in the shallow end of the pool?

“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people. (Eleanor Roosevelt) 

Most of us are capable of thinking, discussing, and learning. Enlightenment involves a bit more exertion than lounging on the shore or merely dipping your toes in the ocean of truth. It requires a certain detachment from the distractions and diversions all around you. Great minds are not content to stay on the shallow end. They wade in—deeper and deeper—until their feet leave the familiar ground—and they can do nothing else but swim.

Night Shift

My husband occasionally works the night shift at the ER. He stays awake while most of us are sleeping. He helps those who need healing during the darkest hours.

“You who serve at night in the house of the Lord—Lift up holy hands in prayer, and praise the Lord.” (Psalm 134:1-2 NLT)

Does God need night-shift workers to work alongside Him? Does He want a few of us to stay alert and pray during times of darkness? Does He ask us to be on-call for those who need spiritual encouragement, comfort, and healing? How can we train ourselves to be alert and oriented during the darkest hours? Where can we find strength to lift up our hands in prayer and praise to the Lord when we, too, feel tired?

“But be on your guard. Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping. (Luke 21:34-36 MSG)

It is so very easy to get distracted by worldly concerns, diversions, and our own internal struggles. We are not of much use to God when we are distracted, agitated, or unconscious.

“When he came back to his disciples, he found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, “Can’t you stick it out with me a single hour? Stay alert; be in prayer so you don’t wander into temptation without even knowing you’re in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there’s another part that’s as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire.”(Matt. 26:40-41 MSG) 

We must rest and fill up with the Spirit during times of light, so we may function during times of darkness. During the darkest hours, we must stay alert and focused—lifting our hands in prayer for those who need healing and comfort—reminding them and ourselves of God’s power and dependability. 

Delusions of Grandeur

I’ve often wondered why the U.S. government gets involved in the civil matters of other countries. Do we not have enough domestic issues to engage us? Or is it that we find it less painful to deal with other people’s problems than our own? Sure, we have invested a great deal in foreign affairs, and as a world Superpower, we feel a certain amount of responsibility for the welfare of every human—especially those who are subjugated by oppressive governments. Yet, previous experience has shown us that meddling in the civil wars of other countries brings very few long-term benefits to anyone.

Similarly, meddling in the lives of others rarely benefits anyone in the long run. It might allow us to feel like a superpower for a little bit, and it might distract us from our own domestic problems. Yet, when we can’t fix our internal conflicts, why do we assume that we can change the minds and behaviors of others?

If a friend or family member asks us for guidance, it’s okay to give them our opinion. However, when we insist on handing out unsolicited advice, it is seldom useful or accepted.

We worry about our loved ones. Our worry and concern leads to meddling. The difference between intervening and interfering is subjective; it depends on the viewpoint of the recipient. Worry and meddling is a sure sign of a lack of trust and respect—in God--in His ability to take care of every situation and person.  

“I haven’t meddled where I have no business or fantasized grandiose plans. I’ve kept my feet on the ground, I’ve cultivated a quiet heart…Wait for God. Wait with hope.” (Psalm 131:1-3 MSG)

Passive Beliefs

One day, I saw a mom and teenage daughter at Walmart, both riding around the store on separate, motorized, shopping scooters. Neither looked disabled—just obese. Now, I’ve seen plenty of non-disabled people riding around in these before, but this was the first time I had seen a mother/daughter pair doing so. They went around the same aisles, shopping—most of the groceries were in the mom’s cart. The teenager just followed a few feet behind. The generational passivity was saddening.

The next day, I heard a sermon about experiencing God. The gist of the sermon was this: ‘The Church’ has processed all the available wisdom about God and came up with the ‘objective truth.’ Since this was all processed, pureed, and diagrammed out for all the members of this One True Church, the members didn’t need to think too much. It has all been experienced/figured out by the experts. So just open wide and swallow. I just sat there and shook my head. I wished I could just stand up and walk out. However, I didn’t. I had my parents on one side and my son on the other. Every pew held multiple generations since it was Father’s Day. We all sat there passively accepting this pureed faith. 

Just like pureed food is necessary for the very old, the very sick, and the very young—I’m sure there are some people who require a pureed faith. Yet, when we ingest this processed, regurgitated dogma, simply because we are too lazy to think, seek, and experience God—we are not much different than the obese people who ride around in those motorized carts, because they find it too exertive to walk. What’s even more depressing is that we pass these bad habits from generation to generation.

Beasts of Burden

(Psalms Study)

Most people associate horse-drawn carriages with romance and fairy tales. I didn’t think much about it until I saw a human pull a rickshaw in Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta), India. Now, every time I see a horse pulling anything, I wonder how it feels about being used as a beast of burden—walking around busy city streets with blinders on, harnessed and controlled by humans, pulling a carriage filled with people who don’t feel like using their own legs. I wish these horses could be galloping freely in some lush valley instead.

Sometimes I feel like one of these horses—controlled and manipulated by those who have harnessed me.  I walk along with blinders, oblivious to everything other than what the driver wants me to see. I pull baggage that is not my own. And like these horses, I get accustomed to this way of life. Those who never experience freedom from bondage assume that this is the only way to live.

“Then God ripped the harnesses…” (Psalm 129:4 MSG)

 Lord, thank You for ripping the harnesses which allow others to control and manipulate me. Thank you for taking the blinders off and releasing me from a life of pulling burdens. 

Zen and the Art of Lawn Mower Maintenance

When I was in my twenties, I read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Persig. I had no interest in motorcycles or Zen Buddhism. Yet, I found Persig’s style of finding meaning in mundane, daily tasks intriguing. This book has greatly influenced the way I think.

Recently, my husband was doing some routine maintenance on our lawn mower. I was just assisting him—basically handing tools to him and observing from the side. He siphoned off the old gasoline from the mower and put in new gasoline. He explained that you have to do this every season, because the old gasoline separates and clogs up the machine. Then he changed the oil and filter. He took out the old, cruddy, black oil first, then changed the filter, and then put in fresh clear oil. It was just another messy, mundane task, but it reminded me of something else.

Lately, I’ve been feeling like my spirit is being siphoned out of me.

I can identify with this verse from the Psalms. 

“They’ve kicked me around ever since I was young, but they never could keep me down.” (Psalm 129:1-4 MSG)

 Lord, You keep me going. You maintain me. You take out the crud and refill me with good. When people and circumstances suck the human spirit out of me, You fill me with the Holy Spirit.

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