For Independence Day, I stayed in Christmas PJs almost all day on the back porch reflecting, talking to the Lord, and drinking lots of coffee. (What bonafide American is drinking a lot of tea on this day?)
I’ve thought a lot about this phrase: “Land of the free because of the brave.” I have a bit of an issue with that. We are not entirely the land of the free because of the brave. I’ve discussed the illusion of freedom already in the last short article I published.
Our nation was founded on the ideals of freedom because of those who were courageous to do the right things. Courage and bravery are not the same thing. They are commonly used synonymously, but they have different meanings. Bravery implies a lack of fear. That’s not all bad. Courage, however, is virtuous. Courage allows people to do the right things despite fear. Sure, it’s probably safe to say that our Founding era was achieved through a small sampling of people who had “no fear”. I say that the majority of them, however, were just morally courageous. Freedom and liberty cannot rise and sustain without men and women of courage. Why? Liberty and freedom cannot exist without the pillars of a moral and virtuous people. The virtue of courage is in critical need of resurrecting.
We are no longer free in America. We move about the cabin with a mere illusion of freedom, so it stands to reason that bravery alone doesn’t cut it entirely. We need more virtuous people who will stand in the face of any opposition, even if struggling with fear, and have COURAGE to do the right things.
Courage is not the absence of fear, but it is stronger than fear in my opinion. Courage founded a nation that would become the quintessential “Land of Hope” and a “City on a Hill.” It will take courage to keep it.
What are you called to do? Convicted to do? What if we stop focusing on fear and focus on the courage needed to “see it come to pass”? Pray for courage. Fear may be present, but it doesn’t have to lead.
Long live America. Long live Freedom. Long live Courage.
Rebecca Y. Chaney
Restore Liberty Mississippi, Director
It seems to me that courage is in front of action and bravery is after, because of the right action. I am reading you.