What is courage?  We have been pondering this while reading C.S. Lewis' book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  This is my response.

Dead! Jim Elliot, famous missionary to Ecuador, was killed by a violent tribe of Aucas. He had often flown over the tribe of Huaorani Indians, and had dropped gifts of fruit and tools. Why had they killed him? They were getting along fine and had even met with a group of these Indians and had given one of their members, Naenkiwi “George”, a ride in their plane. Later, George had lied to the other Indians about why the missionaries had come and what their plans were. After that, a group of 10 Huaorani warriors came to the shore of a river where Jim Elliot was. He boldly went out to greet them and was struck by a spear. One of his men, Ed McCully, escaped. The rest were killed. One statement that drove him on was “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Jim Elliot was a very courageous missionary. He boldly faced the band of warriors that would soon take his life. Many of the Huaorani people knew that he was truly a good man and not at all like George had described him and became Christians.

The courage of Jim Elliot was to do his missionary work no matter what it required. He was a good man and his courage was doing what is right in dangerous circumstances. But what if I have already messed up? Is it too late? Can I still turn back to doing what I know is right? Of course! If a person has done something wrong, they can still quit and apologize to those they have wronged. If they turn back, repent, and keep doing what is right, they still have hope. “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something is more important than fear," stated Ambrose Redmon. This means that being courageous is not being fearless, it is doing the right thing even when it requires personal sacrifice.

In Narnia, Edmund is riding with the White Witch in her sleigh when they come to a banquet spread out on a table with animals sitting around it enjoying a Christmas feast. The White Witch had made it always winter and never Christmas and the animals said that Father Christmas had given them the feast. The White Which became angry and raised her magic wand to turn them to stone. Edmund, who had deserted his brother and sisters and joined the White Witch, felt sorry for them, and tried to stop her, but to no avail. The animals were instantly paralyzed and the White Witch slapped him on the cheek for “pleading for the life of a spy.” Edmund knew he would get in trouble for going against her will, but what she was doing was wrong. Another incident was when Peter, Susan, Lucy, and the Beavers met Aslan, the lion. When they were asked about what had happened to Edmund, Mr. Beaver told him that Edmund betrayed them to the White Which. Then Peter said that Edmund going off to the White Witch was partly his fault because he had been angry at Edmund and that might have caused him to leave. He was courageous in admitting his wrong and showing repentance. The Bible says that Moses was always telling Joshua to “Be strong and of a good courage.” This was exactly what Joshua did. He went and conquered many nations and miraculously defeated Jericho. I, as a Christian, should have the courage of Jim Elliot, Edmund, Peter, and Joshua. If I do, God will bless my life. God wants us to have courage.