The Virtue in Being Dangerous

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth…But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also…A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls…”

Throughout Scripture, it can be difficult not to get the impression that the good man is a mild man, one whom children can feel safe around and enemies may plunder without worry. A lot of bad art featuring angels in Heaven playing harps seems to give the impression that our ultimate goal is to reach a place where saints are subdued, lethargic, and generally sleepy. If one isn’t careful, the idea could creep in that Christianity is full of people both boring and weak-willed.

The Tongue-Tied Truth

Last year, while I was a volunteer construction site supervisor with Habitat for Humanity, one of the things that kept me sane was free counseling. In case you have never gone to counseling, you need to go. No, it doesn’t matter who you are, everyone can use the mental, spiritual and emotional exercise. Olympians still go to the gym, even if it is just to maintain a perfectly fit body. And counseling requires you to look your life (and yourself) square in the face. You essentially walk up to a stranger, sit on their comfy furniture, and challenge them to ask you the hard questions that family and friends might feel too uncomfortable to ask. It takes courage, honesty, and humility, but it will be worth it. It can also lead to the sorts of questions that keep you up at night as you wrestle with the answer. This is what happened to me and I want to share with you some of my grappling.