COURAGE: for those beyond the Syrian debris

Philippians 1:20  I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 

At a time when humanity cries out in solidarity for justice and fairness, the elephant in the room still remains, comfortably and unnoticed:

Few people have displayed as much determined courage in the face of adversity as the Syrian people.  Not only have they endured a twelve-year war that has killed more than 500,000 people and displaced more than half of the population, but they had to endure this suffering in isolation, alone, being rejected by the Western “free” world through economic sanctions and commercial embargos.  The “economic terrorism” of Western nations, as described by the Syrian government,  have left the people of Syria starving without food, sick without medicine, stranded without electricity and crippled without fuel.

A South African official in Damascus shared with us how he had to pay an official visit to a pediatric hospital in one of the cities.  Inside one ward were 40 babies in incubators.  However, the incubators were all broken and due to sanctions the parts were not allowed to be imported.  The 40 babies had no hope of surviving.

For twelve years the Syrian people waited for a breakthrough – and then the earthquake struck. There was a glimmer of hope that this disaster could be a turning point in the struggle that crippled a nation of beautiful people.  But, sadly, Syrians once again find themselves at the short end of the stick and in a position where assistance is withheld and suffering is amplified.

Statista.com[1] reports that more than 40 countries and territories have sent or were preparing to send teams to Turkey, the same was just known of 3 countries and territories concerning Syria: Russia, Algeria and Palestine.  This is not only a shame, but an indictment against humanity

The Syrians need courage, more than ever before.  Courage to endure, to persevere and to survive.

But, as passive bystanders removed from the rubble of Aleppo, we also needs courage:  (adapted from an article by Cathy J. Lassiter on her blog CORWIN-CONNECT[2])

1. MORAL COURAGE

Moral Courage is the courage to stand up for one’s beliefs in the face of overwhelming opposition.  It is a synonym for civil courage.  Moral Courage is the outward expression of a Christian’s personal values and core beliefs, and the resulting actions are focused on a greater good.

As Christians we are called to take on the attitude of Christ, who does not discriminate (Galatian 3:28) between Jew or Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, and, for that matter, Syrian or Turkish.  Our God is a god of compassion and He is equally concerned about those who perish in Turkey as He is about those in Syria.  It is time that the Church in the Western world display moral courage by standing up against discriminating “economic tyranny” that is destroying lives and communities in poor and labeled communities.

2. INTELLECTUAL COURAGE

The second component, Intellectual Courage, is the courage to challenge old assumptions and understandings and act on new understandings and insights.  Jesus had the courage to challenge His followers and told them:[3] “A new commandment I give unto you!”   Theologically that took a lot of courage and inevitably led to Him being crucified.

Our realities are mostly based on our perceptions, which in turn are a direct consequence of our narratives. Our minds only believe what our narratives make them believe.  This is why the church in Romans (12:2) is challenged to be transformed by the renewal of their minds – not only their hearts.

When we deal with transformed lives we need to start with the intellectual courage to challenge our narratives- the source of our cognitive knowledge- and then be transformed by the renewal of our minds.  It will require courage not to think like everybody else but to learn to unlearn and then be transformed into a Christ consciousness of love, grace and acceptance.

3. DISCIPLINED COURAGE

The third component, Disciplined Courage, is the courage to be reflective, strategic, and focused in the face of constant distractions and opposition.  Christians with this brand of courage have great clarity on their vision and the impact they want to have on those in the community.  They are not only focused on doing the right things but on doing things right, in a thoughtful and purposeful way.

The earthquake in Turkey and Syria is not an unfortunate event on a Chronos timeline.  It is a Kairos opportunity for the Church to radiate the love and grace of a forgiving Redeemer.  Many Christians have become obsessed with the insignificant – celebrities, load-shedding, sport, etc.  None of these are wrong in itself, but disciplined courage is needed to focus on the important and significant events that offer opportunities for believers to impact souls.  We are instructed in Ephesian 5:16  to make the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

4. EMPATHETIC COURAGE

The final type of everyday courage is Empathetic Courage, or the courage to open and feel deeply for others.  This is one of the trademarks of Christianity.  It takes humility and courage to put aside your own biases and assumptions and let go of control and certainty for the sake of learning something new. But it is only when you are willing to listen to a different perspective, and manage to empathize, that you can be enriched by a new way of thinking.

This is probably where Christians lack the most courage.  We feel empathy for those who look, act and believe like we do, but find legitimate excuses to reject the rest.  The comparison between the war in Ukraine and the war in Syria is a perfect example:

Since February 24, 2022 more than 9.6 million refugees from Ukraine have crossed the European borders into Poland.  In comparison, all European countries combined host only 1 million Syrian asylum-seekers and refugees, with the 70 per cent being hosted in two countries only: Germany (59 percent) and Sweden (11 percent).  One news commentator reported that the Ukrainian refugees “look and believe like us” and therefore the borders were opened as wide as “barn doors”.

The only way to get rid of the elephant in the room is by courageously (Proverbs 31:8)  speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.

As Christians we need to have courage.  We need to challenge narratives and (Colossians 3:12), as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

 

[1] Chart: Who Is Sending Rescue Teams to Turkey and Syria? | Statista

[2] https://corwin-connect.com/2017/01/4-types-everyday-courage

[3] John 13:34  “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.