A conversation about moral courage

Last week, i was on Morning Air to discuss moral courage, which has been on my mind as of late. You can hear the conversation here, starting around 19:45.

Moral courage is the ability to stand up for what you believe in through words and action, in the face of great opposition. Christians must demonstrate moral courage in every part of the globe; in some places, just going to Mass is an act of moral courage.

Here in America, we know that a certain number of our fellow Americans - by their own self-reporting - believe that violence is the correct response to disagreement. Unfortunately, that is where we are in this country. That means that standing up for what you believe in becomes all that more scary.

One interesting question John asked me was how listeners could demonstrate moral courage. The answer basically is to just do it, even when you are aware of the consequences. But my response was to think about those around you who you have seen demonstrate moral courage. Your priest who gives an honest homily on a social issue, the family member who stands up for what is right for the children in the family, instead of trying to be their friend or not hurt their feelings. And of course, learn by the example of the saints, especially martyrs, while not necessarily wishing for martyrdom yourself. That might be a bit of spiritual arrogance.

Every age since Christ’s time has required moral courage, so we are not that special. Nonetheless, it’s a tough thing to do, because generally we want to just get along, eh? But really, maybe the first step for each of us is just to talk. Since as a culture we seem to have lost the ability to disagree civilly, the first way to demonstrate moral courage is to simply talk with others: about your beliefs, about the truth about God, the meaning of life, the reality of objective morality, and that we are all intended for more. And meanwhile, we can pray to the Holy Spirit to help us speak the truth, courageously, and with love.

What is moral courage?

Tomorrow morning I will be on Morning Air explaining about the eternal call to moral courage. Yes, sometimes you have to stand up for your beliefs in the face of incredible persecution, but yes also every time has been as bad as this one. Remember the Roman martyrs? At least we’re not then, fighting lions in the Coliseum.

You can listen to the conversation at 8:20 am eastern, and find your station here. As always, I’ll post the audio afterwards

Jesus is the King of Broken Hearts

Way back in 2017 I wrote an article for Catholic Stand called There is No Saint of the Brokenhearted. I wrote it because I wanted to know, for my own purposes , who should I pray to when I feel brokenhearted. As the title says, I learned that, while there are saints for everything from mice infestations to toothaches to computer problems, the Church has not designated a saint for the experience of having a broken heart. I decided this must be because broken hearts are the domain of Jesus himself, and no others. I stand by that assessment still, and if there is some specific theology or writing that confirms it, please direct it my way. But I think I’m right.

So I have been thinking about that for the past few days, ever since the nation learned of the assassination of Charlie Kirk last Wednesday. I knew who he was, though did not particularly follow his work and didn’t even know part of his mission was going to college campuses to debate people (especially those who disagree with him). All I know is that when I read he had been fatally shot, it suddenly felt like everything had changed and in addition to deep sadness for this person I had no paricular affinity for, I just felt so hopeless. It still feels a bit hopeless.

There are plenty of people who will analyze the left vs. right dynamic here, and which side is to blame, and which side has the worst rhetoric and the worst violent behavior. Read all of that you want. What I’d rather focus on is the desensitization our nation has experienced over the years on a range of things, as evidenced both by this cold-blooded assassination, and people’s willingness to watch the video of it. I did not watch the video, just as I did not watch the video making the rounds earlier just last week of the stabbing to death of an innocent Ukrainian refugee on the Charlotte light rail. How is it possible these videos ended up in the public domain? What are we doing?

I actually saw Jamie Lee Curtis had an interesting reaction to all this. Keep in mind this all happened the day before the anniversary of 9/11. She said, “We as a society are bombarded with imagery, so we don't know what the longitudinal effects of seeing those towers coming down over and over and over and over again. Or watching his execution over and over and over again.” Right! What are we poisoning our minds with, and what is downstream of this decision to collectively mentally, emotionally, and spiritually poison ourselves? I think we know the answer, and it is a broad sort of desensitization.

Just as I recently asked if cynicism is a sin, I wonder, is being desensitized and numb to suffering a sin? Is lack of feeling scandal a sin? Lack of disgust, a complacency, a complete checking out from what your fellow human beings suffer? Treating others as less than human?

When you look at the alleged killer’s mugshot, and even stills from his first (virtual) hearing, his face is basically expressionless. How could that be?

I don’t know if it’s a sin, but I know that, just as in the analysis of cynicism, you can know this desensitization by its fruits. Our society is rude, transactional, lacking in real relationships, thrilled by violence, completely okay with standing by while horrors are committed. It is - heart breaking.

So, what is the solution? Well, it is Jesus. That’s all. The answer to this and all heartbreaks is Jesus. That, evidently, is something Charlie knew well, based on what has been said about his faith. Praise God for that. And I truly believe he would have been glad to die a martyr because he posessed and lived that kind of moral courage for his faith.

So that’s all I think there is to do in these sorts of hopeless-feeling situations: turn to God, and pray. You can also think of what is in your own power and control to do in order to make the world a slightly better place. One thing would be to stop engaging with the various vehicles, particularly online, that glorify violence and dehumanization. That’s the news, video games, chat boards, whatever, that turns life from something real into a meme. But beyond that, being truly present to your family, friend, and coworkers, is the very first step.

I will be thinking more about what the term would be, whether it’s a sin or no, for the dangers of losing our humanity and its impacts on our spirituality. Not only that, but the antidotes - love, of course, and courage, mercy, forgiveness, and all the other virtues that are real and God-given. Virtues are gifts from God, unearned. Perhaps that is where I will direct my broken-hearted prayer: for an increase in my own virtue.