“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.” – Mary Anne Radmacher
When seeking a definition of peace and peacebuilding, multiple explanations are offered. This definition from Wikipedia includes a personal application: “Peacebuilding…revolves around developing constructive personal, group and political relationships across ethnic, religious, class, national and racial boundaries.” Focusing on present day dynamics in our country and the world, we experience conflict and division in all of these areas. These divisions are causing dangerous polarized conversations, politics, and behaviors. Where there is danger, courage is needed.
We often discuss courage in dramatic terms and there are many examples. One example is the Chinese man known as Tank Man who stood in front of a column of tanks in Tiananmen Square in 1989, the day after hundreds of protesting students had been killed. But courage does not need to be monumental, dramatic or history-making. When we think of courage only in these terms, we overlook our commonplace courageous acts and commitments.
It takes courage to commit to a life of peace in our thoughts, words and deeds. It is sometimes not easy to review, at the end of the day, how well we stayed true to our commitment and to determine where we fell short. Sometimes we feel shame that we did not do better. In these instances, repairing damage we may have caused takes courage. We will discuss this more at our Peacebuilder Discussion for June: “Courage to Be the Change.” We want to hear what you have to say. Join here:
