I believe Joseph demonstrated courage by example early in the life of Jesus. Joseph took his young, pregnant bride to his ancestral home in Bethlehem for the census required by Roman authorities. After Jesus' birth, accounts are given of various visitors coming to worship him, and news began to travel of his existence. He posed a threat to existing political authorities, and Herod planned to kill the young boy. Matthew 2:13-14 outlined Joseph's obedient action in quickly traveling to another country to preserve Jesus' life:
"13 Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him."
14 So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt."
Joseph apparently moved his young family immediately, taking dramatic action to ensure their safety in response to divine instruction. He may have never been outside of his own country previously, and certainly did not have the opportunity to plan carefully for the transition of his home, business etc. A threat appeared, direction was given, and Joseph moved.
Again, our own lives today are usually not this dramatic. No dream has ever told me what state to move to, or which position to apply for or accept (though I am convinced that I have received less dramatic direction in some of my vocational transitions). Courage is required, however, to live a faithful life in contrast to societal influences and internal conflicts. Sacrifices are frequently called for in life, to live up to the ideals of our faith and the responsibilities accompanying many of the privileges we enjoy. Passing up a promotion which would bring more power and money, but would prevent a father from being fully invested in the lives of a family with adolescent children, is an act of courage. Acknowledging a history of alcoholism or sex addiction, and choosing to be accountable to a close friend when on a business trip, is also a courageous act. Many other examples could be cited, from the mundane choices made on a weekly basis to "once in a lifetime" events which have large repercussions in personal, family and community settings.
I have been considering two illustrations from cinema and literature while meditating on the meaning of courage. In the movie "The Last Samurai," Tom Cruise portrays a soldier who engages in battle with reckless effectiveness. On multiple occasions, he rises to the challenge of surviving close calls and surprises those around him with his skill and determined abandon. Toward the end of the movie, he is talking to the son of a samurai he killed in an earlier battle, but he has now grown close to the samurai's family. The boy admits that he would be afraid to die in battle. Cruise's character replies that he would also be afraid. The boy says "but you have been in many battles," and he responds "... and I was always afraid." Courage is choosing to act on our values, convictions and beliefs even when we are unsure of the outcome. Courage enables a man to press on, after suffering losses or when uncertainty threatens to rob him of the initiative and drive which could lead to success. I am convinced that courage is one central element to living as a mature Christian man, and its importance is highlighted in a quote by the Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes:
"He who loses wealth loses much; he who loses a friend loses more; but he who loses his courage loses all."
