The Courage to Act - April 8
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 146, 147; PM Psalm 148, 149 ; Ezek. 37:1-14; Acts 3:11-26; John 15:12-27
My Tuesday reading class is working through “The Rebirthing of God” by John Philip Newell. One of the focuses of Newell’s work is helping the reader to reconnect with compassion. Newell writes, “a primary feature of the rebirthing of God in our lives, individually and collectively, it to come back into relationship with the true heart of one another and all things.” Newell continues, “Compassion is about making the connection between the heart of my being and the heart of yours, and following that connection.”
It is a lovely image to imagine our hearts being connecting with each other and God and living into that connection. To illustrate his point, Newell draws on the witness of Aung San Suu Kyi, the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 while under house arrest for her role as the leader of the nonviolent movement for democracy in Myanmar/Burma which is governed by one of the most brutally repressive regimes in the world. We have seen this with new eyes in the last few weeks as the violence has escalated with yet another military coup.
Suu Kyi follows a threefold pattern of compassion of having the courage to see, feel and then act. I am most interested in her ability to act as illustrated in an event on April 5, 1989. Suu Kyi was planning on speaking at a public event, but the military junta had established a law that forbade more than four people gathering. As she walked down the road with some of her supporters, six soldiers aimed their weapons at her. In order to minimize violence, Suu Kyi ordered her companions to wait while she continued to march forward. As the captain was giving the final countdown to shoot, an Army major standing by countermanded the order allowing Suu Kyi to continue to walk by. The story of her courage to act spread throughout the country encouraging others and instilling hope among the Burmese people. Suu Kyi’s connection to the plight over her fellow people allowed her to courageously act. Suu Kyi makes an important point: there is a direct relationship between hope and action. While hope leads us to act, the action in turn, strengthens hope.
Today’s Gospel reading is a powerful statement from Jesus when he tells his disciples, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” This is the love that Jesus had for humanity as he selflessly gave his life for us to find life. And it is the model of self-emptying and compassion that we are commanded to follow.
I’m inspired by people like Suu Kyi and many others, such as the nurses and doctors who cared for humanity through the last thirteen months. And I often wonder, how do they have the compassion and courage to act? Suu Kyi’s example is a reminder that hope strengthens courage which in turn strengthens hope. This means Jesus’ action of love gives us the hope and strength to act compassionately for the wellbeing of our fellow humankind. But this kind of compassion requires faith, faith that God’s commandment is meant for you and me.
John+
Questions for Self-Reflection: Who are the people in your life who embody courage? What enables them to be courageous? How does your faith impact your actions towards others?
Daily Challenge: Find a quiet place and listen to your heartbeat. Listen for at least two minutes. Take a deep breath. Now consider how your heart can beat can be connected to others.