Courage with Wisdom: A Gospel Way Forward
Earlier this week I caught up with a friend preparing to head overseas to begin postgraduate studies at Harvard. What should be an exciting opportunity has been overshadowed by the tightening of visa conditions for international students in the U.S. The Australian Government even convened an online meeting for students bound for Harvard, warning them in no uncertain terms: avoid protests, avoid being seen as disruptive, or risk having your visa revoked; no arrest needed, just suspicion.
It is a sobering reminder that freedom of speech, even where it is supposedly protected, has limits, especially when you are not a citizen. My friend, wise and thoughtful, is not someone who would rush to pick up a placard, but the warning still unsettled him. It struck me how easily young people can be pressured into silence, not out of apathy, but out of a well-placed fear of consequences.
Jesus, of course, took the opposite path. He did not avoid confrontation or controversy. He did not tailor his message to keep the peace or stay out of trouble. His words unsettled the powerful. He refused to be silent, even when silence might have kept Him safe.
Courage, however, does not always look like protest. Some of the most courageous people I have come across are contemplatives; people able to be still when the society they are part of creates pressure to be active and vocal. They resist the pressure to perform, to conform, to impress. That kind of courage, anchored, reasoned and reflective is something I would love our boys to grow into.
Most of us would not call ourselves brave, let alone heroic. We are more like the everyday characters of the Bible, the fishermen, the tax collectors, the doubters, who stumble their way into moments of courage. That is real life. Sometimes we are brave; often we are not. Sometimes the best we can do is keep showing up.
There is a prayer you may know that is often said at AA meetings and in hospital chapels, but it is just as fitting in schoolyards and family homes:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.
It is a prayer for the long haul, especially for young men finding their way in a noisy world. It is not about charging into every battle, but knowing when to speak, when to act and when to hold fast to your values; even when it is hard. Even when it is quiet. Even when no one is watching.
That is the kind of courage I hope we cultivate in our boys. The kind that gives them the strength to face challenges with humility and the wisdom to choose their path not by fear or fashion, but by principle.
Like my friend, heading off to Harvard under the shadow of global politics, the future for our boys will not always be smooth or predictable. No amount of courage will change some things. No amount of rationalisation will let us off the hook for not changing others. Our hope, however, is that they grow into young men who are brave enough to stand firm, wise enough to discern what matters and humble enough to walk that path with integrity.
Matthew Hutchison
Headmaster
