Moral Courage and the Christian Heritage
Just completed reading the novel, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, one of the 20th century giants of the Christian faith. Happened to come across this speech he made 28 years ago at Harvard, below is an excerpt:
A Decline in Courage [. . .]
may be the most striking feature which an outside observer notices in the West in our days. The Western world has lost its civil courage, both as a whole and separately, in each country, each government, each political party and of course in the United Nations.
Such a decline in courage is particularly noticeable among the ruling groups and the intellectual elite, causing an impression of loss of courage by the entire society. Of course there are many courageous individuals but they have no determining influence on public life.
Political and intellectual bureaucrats show depression, passivity and perplexity in their actions and in their statements and even more so in theoretical reflections to explain how realistic, reasonable as well as intellectually and even morally warranted it is to base state policies on weakness and cowardice.
And decline in courage is ironically emphasized by occasional explosions of anger and inflexibility on the part of the same bureaucrats when dealing with weak governments and weak countries, not supported by anyone, or with currents which cannot offer any resistance.
But they get tongue-tied and paralyzed when they deal with powerful governments and threatening forces, with aggressors and international terrorists.
Should one point out that from ancient times decline in courage has been considered the beginning of the end?
The full text can be found at http://www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/solzhenitsyn/harvard1978.html
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Reflecting upon these words serve as a poignant reminder of the challenges the Christian has to live up to in order to testify to the reality of our faith. So often, our Christ-likeness is only exhibited within the four walls of the church, and we fail to demonstrate the power of our faith within contemporary modern society. Where are the Christians in high places, those whose voices can inspire and transform? Have Christians abdicated their duties in putting Christ in sovereign above all earthly powers? Where is the voice of the Christian - to stand up against unrighteousnes, injustice and evil? What is the duty of the disciple of Christ? Who is my brother? And how should I then live?
As we live among such postmodern times - when the distinction between truth and falsity is often blurred or seemingly non-existent - let us remember those who have sojourned together with us in this pilgrimage as we seek to be the beacon of light that shineth forth in this world of darkness.
A Decline in Courage [. . .]
may be the most striking feature which an outside observer notices in the West in our days. The Western world has lost its civil courage, both as a whole and separately, in each country, each government, each political party and of course in the United Nations.
Such a decline in courage is particularly noticeable among the ruling groups and the intellectual elite, causing an impression of loss of courage by the entire society. Of course there are many courageous individuals but they have no determining influence on public life.
Political and intellectual bureaucrats show depression, passivity and perplexity in their actions and in their statements and even more so in theoretical reflections to explain how realistic, reasonable as well as intellectually and even morally warranted it is to base state policies on weakness and cowardice.
And decline in courage is ironically emphasized by occasional explosions of anger and inflexibility on the part of the same bureaucrats when dealing with weak governments and weak countries, not supported by anyone, or with currents which cannot offer any resistance.
But they get tongue-tied and paralyzed when they deal with powerful governments and threatening forces, with aggressors and international terrorists.
Should one point out that from ancient times decline in courage has been considered the beginning of the end?
The full text can be found at http://www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/solzhenitsyn/harvard1978.html
------------
Reflecting upon these words serve as a poignant reminder of the challenges the Christian has to live up to in order to testify to the reality of our faith. So often, our Christ-likeness is only exhibited within the four walls of the church, and we fail to demonstrate the power of our faith within contemporary modern society. Where are the Christians in high places, those whose voices can inspire and transform? Have Christians abdicated their duties in putting Christ in sovereign above all earthly powers? Where is the voice of the Christian - to stand up against unrighteousnes, injustice and evil? What is the duty of the disciple of Christ? Who is my brother? And how should I then live?
As we live among such postmodern times - when the distinction between truth and falsity is often blurred or seemingly non-existent - let us remember those who have sojourned together with us in this pilgrimage as we seek to be the beacon of light that shineth forth in this world of darkness.
posted by Benjamin Ho at
6:58 AM
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