Hope's two beautiful daughters

Patricia Paddey
Ontario Correspondent
ontario@christianweek.org

"Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are anger and courage; anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are."

-Augustine

I've been thinking a lot about Augustine's pronouncement.

At one time, I considered anger something to be avoided; a negative emotion that would generally lead to negative consequences. When the concept of courage came to mind, it was often accompanied by one of two mental pictures I associated with the term. Simply say the word “courage,” and in my mind's eye I'd see a mighty warrior in the heat of battle, or a certain cowardly lion growling his way through a song about the subject as a Toto-armed Dorothy looked on.

Today, I'm picturing different images.

Over the past few months, I've marvelled at the courage of several Christians I've had the opportunity to speak with. I've realized that Augustine was right—but perhaps only partly so. I've seen that those who hope in Christ can display courage in the midst of the darkest of circumstances so things don't remain the way they are. Just as Jesus channelled His righteous anger into action by clearing the temple, there are many in His body who channel their anger at life's injustices into action, clearing a way through the detritus of pain, creating more hope.

In short, hope makes possible the courage to effect change, but such courage also gives birth to more hope.

I think of Daniel Lee, pastor of the Chinese Evangelical Alliance Church of Toronto. When news of nine-year-old Cecilia Zhang's abduction became headlines last October, the public reacted with fear and anger. Lee was also angered that a little girl could be stolen from her bed in the night, but his response didn't end there. For as soon as he learned that the Zhang family lived in his church's own neighbourhood, he determined to do whatever he could to support the grieving parents.

Within days of Cecilia's disappearance, Lee boldly knocked on the door of her home to deliver a card signed by his congregation, and offered to pray with and for her parents.

The pastor admitted to me that such a move wasn't an easy one for him to make. The Zhangs were strangers to him, and he had no way of knowing how he would be received. But Lee recognized that the Zhangs were people in need of spiritual comfort and compassion, and he knew there was no better way for them to receive it than through the body of Christ.

Setting his own inhibitions aside, Lee made the visit and was thus used by God to start the little girl's grieving parents on the road to peace and faith in Christ. In displaying courage, he displayed Christ. Today, the Zhangs are no longer atheists, but baptized Christians and members of Lee's church.

When I think of courage, I also think of Franklin Pyles, president of the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) in Canada. Seven years ago, Pyles and his wife Gay lost a daughter to a tragic accident involving a drunk driver. This summer, their youngest son, James, was killed in a car accident while on a short-term mission trip to Israel.

Pyles and his wife were sitting in an airport boarding lounge waiting to board a flight to St. Louis for a family party when their cell phone went off and they received the news that James had been killed. Pyles told me they collapsed in grief. Then they decided to go on to St. Louis.

Only days later, the C&MA held their general assembly in Winnipeg. Pyles went on to that too, addressed the assembly and was re-elected as president for a second four-year term.

He is not in denial and he's not pretending that all is well. He is quick to admit he's “not okay” and that he struggles with the process of grief; a process he describes simply as, “really hard.”

But he is also determined to carry out the call that God has placed on his life.

Pyles told me resolutely that he's serious about his work, he's not “playing games,” he has a great sorrow over the spiritual state of our country, and that he believes we're in a life and death struggle for the gospel. It is his deep desire to be a part of the solution, which keeps him focused and persevering even in the midst of enormous loss.

Both Lee and Pyles believe steadfastly that Christ will ultimately prevail. It is that hope that fuels their courage to effect change when confronted with the vitality of evil and death in our world.

Christ will prevail. May it be a hope to encourage us all.