Spiritual Resilience

I read a lot about economics and current economic trends.  I read Anabaptist literature, Catholic Distributism, and Austrian economics.  Without caricaturing it, I believe Inside Catholic blog follows a more libertarian/ republican slant, which is fine.  I read this article last night and I think the author is spot on.  Both of my Grandmothers lived through the great depression so I am familiar with what he is talking about as I am sure a lot of people are as well.  I would say one was more affected than the other in some respects.

Anyway, while reading the comments, one quote really resonated with me:  "I think the key to survival may soon be spiritual resilience. That’s an unconventional thought at the moment, but it soon will become conventional."

This last couple of years, God has been gently moving me to seek His courage.  The bible character that He particularly used was Joseph of Arimathea.  His part in the burial of Jesus is in all four gospels.  In them, one says he (ESV version) took courage (other translations might use boldly) and in another says that he was afraid.  In another, this is the point in which Pilate directs the soldiers to report whether they are dead or not - perhaps Joseph was at the crucifixion and witnessed the final moments of Jesus' death...  Can you imagine being God's undertaker.  Where were the disciples?  Joseph took a huge risk as he was a pharisee and a secret disciple.

So what is this spiritual resilience and courage going to look like?  I will offer my sense and understanding, which is still forming.  This is the sense that no matter what kind of circumstances or difficulties we encounter, that our sense about who God is and what life is in reality, we do not reduce ourselves to the level of animals.  We would rather die than to deprive others of life.  We will Seek First the Kingdom of God and do what is in our ability to do consistent with God and His nature.  It is not "every man for himself" but "every man for every man."

Here is the rub, the commenter mentioned thought.  My sense is that this is something that needs to become intentional and sought after.  We are not going to be resilient if we do nothing.  We need to order our lives in such a way that the conditions for us to grow into this, and it is the old word fortitude (see Thomas Aquinas in the Summa for some understanding of that word in the 1200's), is possible.

All for now.