Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.'” That quote by author Mary Anne Radmacher is one of my favorites because it takes the conventional view of courage and turns it on its head. Sometimes I think that we get stuck on that forceful view of courage—the one that has us charging into battle—and fail to see the many acts of courage that look more like determination and tenacity.
Take St. Clare, whom we celebrate this month, for instance. She was fiercely courageous, but in her own quiet way. She left behind the life she knew—and all its comforts and certainties—to follow Francis. That took courage. Francis also had his ways of showing courage, which took the forms of fighting in war, denouncing his father, and embracing the leper. You can read how Clare and Francis’ courage can inspire us in “The Courage to Change: Wisdom from Assisi.”
You will also find other calls for courage in this issue, which was put together during the civil unrest following the death of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer in Minnesota. The editorial on page 19 reminds us—once again—that we all have a role in fighting racism, and my Faith and Family column addresses the anger of a mom, who acknowledges the privilege of her family.
Right now, we all need to find a way—whatever it looks like—to be courageous and speak up for what is right. Even if we stumble or get it wrong, we must channel the tenacity of St. Clare and promise, “I will try again tomorrow.”
