Do I have what it takes to do or say what is right? Sometimes, I am not so sure. I often wonder if I would be like Peter and deny Christ if threatened. Or would I have the courage of the teenage girl(Cassie Bernall) shot and killed at Columbine for saying that she believed in God (perhaps an urban legend, but it still makes me think).
I was confronted with this question again when reading The Kite Runner. Young Amir finds his friend being tortured and abused by 3 bullies and hides, watching in the shadows while biting his hand to keep himself from screaming. If he had confronted the bullies what would have happened? He was just a weak little boy and they were bigger, stronger and out-numbered him. Sadly, I may have done the same thing, hidden in fear. But I hope that my reaction to my friend afterwards would have been better than his. He just dropped his friend because of his own shame. Pathetic.
What would you do? Sometimes we need a guts check.
1 comment:
I think this is a great thing to think about, Amanda. These kinds of stories make me think I'm not that gutsy.
Yesterday in my Bible study, I was reading about the betrayal of Christ by Judas. If you remember, Judas betrayed Christ, Peter denied Christ, and ALL the disciples fled. I think Jesus even used the words "You all will fall away" or something like that. It gives me comfort to know that in a terrifying situation, not a single disciple chose the way of courage.
What's interesting about this story is that except for Judas, fear prompted each disciple to flee. But for Judas, his betrayal was premeditated, was planned. Christ was a human, just like us, and He remembers what it was like to be faced with fear. He has mercy on us when we flee (just like he showed mercy to the faithful eleven), but the greater path is for us to be like Christ and face our fear in His strength, trusting in the Father like He did.
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