Amore Fati

We all seek happiness. We are all searching for love. We are all desperate for peace. But so often, we look in the wrong places.

St Augustine prayed, ‘Lord... you have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.’ God is the source of all good things.

Psalm 4:1–8

The source of joy and peace

So often we seek joy and peace in the wrong places: ‘How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?’ (v.2). We think that money, possessions or success will be the answer. But these are delusions and false gods. True joy and peace, as David tells us, are to be found in a relationship with God (v.3).

We are not promised a problem-free life – the psalm starts with a cry: ‘Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer’ (v.1b). David is confident that God will hear: ‘He listens the split second I call to him’ (v.3b, MSG).

God alone is the true source of joy and peace: ‘Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD. You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety’ (vv.6b–8).

There is greater joy in the presence of God than there is in material prosperity and luxury. Prosperity, despite the apparent security it brings, does not necessarily lead to peaceful sleep. Only in God’s will can we truly ‘dwell in safety’ (v.8).

Lord, let the light of your face shine on me. Fill my heart with the joy of your presence and grant me peaceful sleep.

Matthew 4:23–5:20

The source of God’s favour and true happiness

According to Jesus, true happiness does not come from all the things that society suggests. It does not come from celebrity, beauty, wealth and possessions. It is not about how you feel. It is not about what you have or even about what you do.

The Greek word, ‘makarios’ (used in 5:3–11) means ‘blessed’, ‘fortunate’, ‘happy’ – the privileged recipient of God’s favour. Or, as the Amplified version puts it, ‘happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous, that is, with life-joy and satisfaction… regardless of their outward conditions.’

In the Beatitudes (‘beautiful attitudes’!) Jesus highlights eight unexpected situations in which you receive God’s favour and blessings.

1. Be spiritually desperate for God

‘Blessed are the poor in spirit’ (v.3a). The word for ‘poor’ means ‘begging… dependent on others for support’. Here, it means being brought low or weakened to the point of realising the need to depend on Jesus: ‘You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope’ (v.3a, MSG). The poor in spirit are blessed because, through what Jesus has made possible, ‘yours is the kingdom of heaven’ (v.3b).

2. Weep over your condition

‘Blessed are those who mourn’ (v.4a). Mourn your own sin and the mess in the world around you. Weep with those who weep. It is not wrong to weep and to mourn the loss of those you love. Jesus’ promise is that those who mourn ‘will be comforted’ (v.4b). God’s comfort goes way beyond any kind of ordinary comfort. As Joyce Meyer writes, ‘It’s almost worth having a problem in order to be able to experience [God’s comfort].’

3. Be content with who you are

‘Blessed are the meek’ (v.5a). The Greek word for ‘meek’ means ‘gentle’, ‘considerate’, ‘unassuming’. It is showing kindness and love for others. It is the opposite of arrogance and self-seeking. It means ‘broken’, not in the sense of a broken glass that is shattered, but in the way that a horse is broken – tamed, strength under control. Through Jesus the meek are blessed – ‘they will inherit the earth’ (v.5b).‘You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are – no more, no less’ (v.5a, MSG).

4. Be hungry for God

‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness’ (v.6a). ‘You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God’ (v.6a, MSG). Pursue a relationship with God as your number one priority in life. Pursuing anything else for its own sake ultimately leaves you empty. But the blessing of a hunger for God and his righteousness is that you ‘will be filled’ (v.6b).

5. Receive forgiveness and be merciful

‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy’ (v.7a). Don’t give people what they ‘deserve’; give them what they don’t deserve. As C.S. Lewis put it, ‘To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.’ The merciful are blessed because ‘they will be shown mercy’ (v.7b).

6. Be completely sincere

‘You’re blessed when you get your inside world – your mind and heart – put right’ (v.8a, MSG). ‘Blessed are the pure in heart’ (v.8a). This is not just outward purity but integrity, openness, sincerity and authenticity. It is a purity that truly allows you to ‘see God’ (v.8b). A pure heart starts with your thoughts because your thoughts become your words, your actions and your character. A key step to being pure in heart is allowing others to see us as we are – in all our brokenness and vulnerability.

7. Strive to bring peace

‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ (v.9a). Don’t stir up conflict, but make peace. Jesus, the Son of God, came to make peace for you on the cross (Colossians 1:20). Blessed are the peacemakers ‘for they will be called children of God’ (Matthew 5:9b).‘You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight’ (v.9a, MSG).

8. Expect nothing in return except persecution

‘Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness’ (v.10a). Don’t expect anything from the world in return except criticism. But God is with the persecuted church: ‘theirs is the kingdom of heaven’ (v.10b).‘You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution’ (v.10, MSG).

We see here the third way in which Jesus fulfils the Old Testament. We have already seen that Jesus fulfils the Old Testament history (1:1–17) and how he fulfils the promises of the Old Testament prophecies (1:18–4:16). Now, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus fulfils the Old Testament Law by revealing its full depth and meaning: ‘Don’t suppose for a minute that I have come to demolish the Scriptures – either God’s Law or the Prophets. I’m not here to demolish but to complete’ (5:17, MSG).

The American rock singer turned pastor, John Wimber, said, ‘Jesus is insatiable. Everything we do pleases him but nothing satisfies him. I have been satisfied with Jesus but he has not been satisfied with me. He keeps raising the standards. He walks in high places.’

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus ‘raised the bar’ to the sky, not to bring us down but to lift us up: ‘I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand – shine!’ (5:16, MSG).

Lord, help me this year to live by the values of the Sermon on the Mount and to be characterised by the Beatitudes, so I might be a light to the world around me.

Genesis 9:18–11:9

The source of love and unity

Today’s passage begins with the rather strange account of Noah getting drunk. The fact that he was a righteous man did not mean that he was perfect. Shem and Japheth are commended for ‘cover[ing] their father’s nakedness’ (9:23).

Love covers and protects. It does not seek to expose other people’s weaknesses and faults. It does not delight in other’s misfortunes.

Love and unity go hand in hand. The Tower of Babel is the symbol of disunity (11:1–9). The people said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves’ (v.4). This act of pride and power-seeking led to disunity, symbolised in the confusion of different languages in the world. ‘The LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth’ (v.9).

The day of Pentecost was the reversal of Babel. The Holy Spirit enables people to say: ‘each of us hears them [speaking] in our native language’ (Acts 2:8). The gift of tongues symbolises the fact that the Holy Spirit reverses the disunity of Babel and unites all peoples and languages.

This is a common experience today as we see the Holy Spirit bringing love and unity across churches, languages and nations.

Lord, may we never seek to make a name for ourselves or our own church, denomination or movement. Rather, may we seek to glorify your name. Pour out your Spirit, O Lord, on the church as on the day of Pentecost. May there be a reversal of Babel. May there be an end to disunity. May your Spirit and the values of the kingdom of God bring love, joy, peace, true happiness and unity.

Pippa adds

In Matthew 4:24 it says, ‘People brought to [Jesus] all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering… and he healed them.’

I am going to pray for everyone I know who is sick or suffering today and bring them to Jesus, it’s quite a long list.

References

For a more detailed explanation and application of ‘The Sermon on the Mount’ (Matthew 5–7) see Nicky Gumbel’s book The Jesus Lifestyle.

C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory (New York: HarperCollins, 2001; Originally published 1949), pp.181–183.

St Augustine, Confessions: Book 1 (Penguin, 1961) p.21.

The Bible with Nicky and Pippa Gumbel (commentary formerly known as Bible in One Year) ©Alpha International 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Compilation of daily Bible readings © Hodder & Stoughton Limited 1988. Published by Hodder & Stoughton Limited as the Bible in One Year.

Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version Anglicised, Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica, formerly International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. ‘NIV’ is a registered trademark of Biblica. UK trademark number 1448790.

Scripture quotations marked (AMP) taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Saya harap surat ini tidak terlalu murung. Tapi jika ada yang terasa tak riang di sini, maafkan, bukan niat saya membebanimu dengan sesuatu yang gelap. Saya memang tak bisa membersihkan diri dari rasa kecewa, bahkan marah, pada keadaan, mengetahui kamu ada dalam tahanan seperti sekarang. Dengan tuduhan "korupsi" pula.

Tapi saya percaya, keadaan ini tak akan menciderai kepercayaan orang banyak kepadamu -- tak akan merusak nama baikmu. Dalam pepatah Jawa ada frase, "becik ketitk, ala ketara". Orang yang bersih dan baik akan tetap kelihatan nilainya, yang jahat demikian juga.

Saya ingat, selalu ingat, ketika suatu senja kamu menemui saya, di tempat minum kopi di hotel yang dulu disebut Hyatt Hotel di Senayan. Kamu baru lulus dari Harvard dan sedang mencari cara untuk melakukan sesuatu yang berguna bagi Indonesia -- bukan untuk karirmu.

Kamu mengajak saya bertukar fikiran. Saya tak merasa heran bahwa itulah yang kamu fikirkan. Saya mengenalmu sejak sekolah dasar -- dan sangat mengenal orang-orang yang membentuk sikap hidupmu.

Orang-orang itu juga bagian dari proses saya membentuk diri, memilih nilai-nilai dalam hidup. Bapakmu adalah teman dekat saya sejak 1963. Kami -- juga Arief Budiman, Marsillam Simanjuntak, Ismid Hadad, Fikri Jufri, Aristides Katoppo, Rahman Toilleng, Soe Hok Gie -- adalah satu kumpulan.Kami tak selamanya satu ide. Tapi kami saling percaya, melalui bertahun-tahun "saling asah, saling asih, saling asuh". Juga melalui perlbagai gejolak sejarah, pra-dan-pasca-1965. Kami tak berpartai, tapi kami selalu memihak -- memihak untuk menegakkan Indonesia yang adil, merdeka, cerdas, bersih, kreatif.

Di awal 1960-an, di kamar Bapakmu di Jalan Cikini Raya kami sering bertemu. Malam hari kami ngopi di sebuah kedai Gang Ampiun, berdiskusi, bertukar bacaan. Ketika Bapakmu, Nono Anwar Makarim, menjadi pemimpin redaksi Harian Kami di tahun 1966 (dan dua tahun kemudian, seusai bersekolah di Eropa, saya bergabung)-- kami makin lebih sering bersama. Kami dan sejumlah kawan menjadi penullis dan wartawan. Tapi juga sebagai aktivis, atau dalam istilah yang keren waktu itu, penulis-penulis yang engagé, yang terlibat dalam politik perubahan.

Itu bagian dalam dari komitmen -- kata lain dari rasa cinta -- kami kepada Indonesia -- satu-satunya negeri yang entah bagaimana merasuk ke dalam diri kami sampai dalam (dan tak hanya pada kami).

Persoalan hak asasi dan demokratisasi sangat hangat, genting, dan urgen masa itu. Militer berkuasa hampir di mana-mana, ribuan orang dibunuh atau disingjkirkan atau ditahan, sering hanya karena dugaan, dan pers dikekang. Di masa itu kami praktis berlatih untuk mampu menyintas, mempertahankan dan juga menumbuhkan kemerdekaan besuara, menerobos kekangan itu dengan pelbagai siasat, Di Harian Kami kami memberitakan tindakan-tindalkan yang menindas hak asasi -- misalnya kekerasan, terhadap mereka yang dituduh "terlibat" PKI, Di hari-hari itu Nono berteman dekat sekali dengan H.J.C. Princen dan Adnan Buyung Nasution, pejuang-pejiuag penegak hak asasi. Mereka saling membantu.

Juga dalam menyuarakan antikorupsi. Nono bukan tipe orang yang turun-ke-jalan, tapi melalui tulisan-tulisannya ia membantu perlawanan terhadap kekuasaan permalingan dengan menyoroti penyakit laten Indonesia ini. Dalam sebuah esei di Majalah Kebudayaan Budaya Jaya, yang dikelola Penyair Ramadhan KH, Nono (yang di sana menulis kolom reguler "Kalaeidoskop"), memperkenalkan istilah "kleptokrasi", pemerintahan dan kebijakanaan yang menopang dan menjumbuhkan "pencurian" [harta publik].

Ibu kamu, Atika Makarim, lebih merupakan seorang aktivis: dia membentuk dan terjun secara aktif dalam Yayasan Bung Hatta, lembaga yang didirikan teman-teman yang sepikiran, yang telah beberapa kali memberikan penghargaan kepada tokoh-tokoh masyarakat yang diketahui bersih. Di tahun 2013 misalnya, Yayasan ini memberi Hatta Anticorruption Award kepada Ahok.

Bukan sesuatu yang kebetulan, juga bukan sesuatu yang baru, jika ayah ibumu bergabung dengan teman-teman yang prihatin dengan kleptokrasi di Indonesia.

Di akhir tahun 1970-an saya sering mampir dan ikut makan di Jalan Tosari, Jakarta, di rumah Oom Hamid Algadri, kakekmu, ayahanda Ibumu, seorang tokoh Partai Sosialis Indonesia di bawah pimpinan Syahrir. Sebagaimana Soedjatmoko, teman baiknya, Oom Hamid senang berdiskusi dengan generasi yang lebih muda tentang keadaan tanah air.

Dalam salah satu percakapan di meja makan, ia mengutarakan pendapatnya yang tak saya lupakan: di Indonesia kini, dalam bertindak jujur, kata Oom Hamid, mungkin saja kita tak punya patokan hukum. Tapi ada sesuatu yang lebih primordial ketimbang hukum, yakni panggilan ethis. Panggilan ethis inilah yang membuat masyarakat menegakkan dan merawat nilai-nilai. Panggilan ethis, kita tahu, lahir dari pengalaman panjang, bukan hanya sebagai ajaran. Ia tumbuh dari empati kepada orang (terutama yang sebangsa dan setanahair) yang menanggungkan rasa sakit oleh ketidak-adilan.

Dalam sejarah, tak selamanya hukum bertaut dengan panggilan ethis. Bahkan bisa bertentangan. Kapanpun dan di manapun, keadilan tak bisa dialami penuh. Yang kita alami adalah keadilan yang tumbuh, keadilan yang terjadi dari perjuangan bersama.

Dalam hukum -- yang lahir dari proses legislasi -- sering terbuka kemungkinan sengketa, selisih, dengan keadilan. Dalam sejarah Indonesia -- dalam sejarah hukum Indonesia -- sengketa itu berkali-kali terjadi.

Apa yang Nadiem alami sekarang adalah contohnya.

Tak berarti kita menyerahkan diri pada keadaan yang salah ini. Sejarah keadilan adalah cerita Sisiphus: perjuangan yang tak kunjung berhenti, naik turun, jatuh bangun -- tapi yang tak membuat kita putus asa, karena putus asa dalam hal ini akan berarti keruntuhan sosial. Perjuangan itulah yang justru memperkukuh kita sebagai makhluk sosial.

Dan kamu dibentuk, sejak kecil, oleh sekelilingmu, dengan semangat Sisiphus itu.

Jika nanti kamu lepas dari keadaan ini, saya yakin kamu akan memperoleh sebuah tambahan kekayaan batin -- kekayaan yang datang dari kesadaran akan ketidak-adilan dan doorongan kuat ke arah keadilan. Dalam proses itu, tak akan ada yang membuatmu cemar.

Sampai ketemu, Nadiem. Hari-hari ini cuaca buruk. Banyak sekali dari keluarga bangsa kita yang terkena bencana. Tapi itu juga tanda, Indonesia selalu memanggil -- melawan kerusakan alam, melawan bencana rusaknya keadilan.

To know wisdom and instruction, To discern the sayings of understanding,

To receive instruction in wise behavior, Righteousness, justice and equity;

To give prudence to the naive, To the youth knowledge and discretion,

A wise man will hear and increase in learning,

And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,

To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭7‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

The idea of peace in connection with personality is that every power is in perfect working order to the limit of activity. That is what Jesus means when He says “My peace.” Never have in mind the idea of jadedness or stagnation in connection with peace. Health is physical peace, but health is not stagnation; health is the perfection of physical activity. Virtue is moral peace, but virtue is not innocence; virtue is the perfection of moral activity. Holiness is spiritual peace, but holiness is not quietness; holiness is the intensest spiritual activity. The profound realization of God makes you too unspeakably peaceful to be capable of any self-interest. Reflection Questions: In what ways does inactivity give a false sense of peace? Why is activity required for peace? Why does self-interest have to part in peace? Quotations taken from Bringing Sons into Glory and Not Knowing Where, © Discovery House Publishers

How much of faith, hope, and love is worked in us when we try to convince somebody else? It is not our business to convince other people, that is the insistence of a merely intellectual, unspiritual life. The Spirit of God will do the convicting when we are in the relationship where we simply convey God’s word. We exploit the word of God in order to fit it into some view of our own that we have generated; but when it comes to the great calm peace and rest of the Lord Jesus, we can easily test where we are. To “rest in the Lord” is the perfection of inward activity. In the ordinary reasoning of man it means sitting with folded arms and letting God do everything; in reality it is being so absolutely stayed on God that we are free to do the active work of men without fuss. The times God works most wonderfully are the times we never think about it. Reflection Questions: How much of my unrest comes from trying to create peace on my terms rather than God’s? Which part of the peace-making process belongs to God and which to me? Quotation taken from If Thou Wilt Be Perfect, © Discovery House Publishers

For most of us, work takes up the majority of our waking hours.

It’s where we spend our energy, our creativity, and often, our best effort.

It’s easy to believe there’s a divide between our spiritual life and our work life. But when Christ lives in us, that divide disappears. Your work is not separate from your worship—it’s an expression of it.

Paul writes, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”

He’s not just talking about those in ministry or people with “spiritual” jobs. He’s reminding all of us that what we do—how we do it—matters to God.

Work was God’s idea before sin entered the world. He placed Adam in the garden to work it and take care of it. Work is not a curse; it’s a calling.

But when sin entered the story, so did frustration, exhaustion, and the desire for control. Now, we often see work as something to endure instead of something through which we honor God.

The Colossians understood this tension. In their culture, the concept of a “master” and a “servant” wasn’t abstract—it shaped daily life. Paul challenges both groups to remember who their true Master is. He says, “It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

This changes everything. It means how we work—our integrity, our tone, our effort, our attitude—can either reflect or distort the character of Jesus in us.

If you’re an employer, lead people with humility and fairness.

If you’re an employee, serve with excellence and gratitude.

If you’re at home raising kids or managing a household, do it as unto the Lord.

The goal isn’t perfection—it’s perspective.

We’re not working for applause, recognition, or titles.

We’re working for the One who gave us purpose in the first place.

The world measures success by results. Jesus measures it by faithfulness.

Faithfulness is showing up with a good attitude even when no one notices.

It’s choosing to do your best when it would be easier to do the bare minimum.

Whatever season you’re in, wherever you work, how you work tells the story of who you serve.

This is Life on Purpose: When your work becomes worship, your workplace becomes your mission field.

Prayer

The first place our faith should show up is in our homes.

It takes more than a Christian symbol or Scripture hanging on the wall to make a Christian home. A Bible on the coffee table or nightstand won’t do it either. All of those can be meaningful, but it’s more than décor.

You can sense peace in a Christian home because of how they love and serve each other — not because each member has earned it, but because of their obedience to Jesus.

Paul reminds us that whatever we do, we should do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. That includes how we treat our family.

It’s easy to read these verses and focus on what others are supposed to do. But Life on Purpose begins with what God is asking of you.

When a wife loves and serves her husband out of obedience to the Lord, she’s following God’s pattern — the same kind of love the Holy Spirit shows to the Father and the Son. When a husband loves his wife and refuses to be harsh, he’s reflecting Christ’s heart. You can be right with the wrong attitude. You can say the right thing with an unkind tone. That’s less than God’s best.

A husband who is rooted in Christ speaks life to his wife, encourages her, listens to her, and is mindful of his tone. Children honor God when they obey their parents, and parents honor God when they lead their kids with patience and grace instead of frustration.

Remember, family is God’s idea. And in order to get God’s blessing, we have to follow God’s plan. That means we set up God as the head of the household.

People don’t know you love them until you show it. So, write a note. Send a text. Plan a special afternoon together. Do something around the house unexpectedly. Reach over and grab their hand. Surprise them with that special something they didn’t think you remembered. Families that live together this way experience the peace of God in their homes.

This is Life on Purpose: when the love of Christ defines the culture of your home, not your circumstances.

Prayer

—Henry Beston

The world today is sick to its thin blood

for lack of elemental things, for fire

before the hands, for water welling

from the earth, for air, for the

dear earth itself underfoot. In

my world of beach and dunes these

elemental presences lived and had

their being, and under their

arch there moved an incomparable

pageant of nature and the year…

Hold your hands out over

the earth as over a flame.

To all who love her, who

open to her the doors

of their veins, she gives

of her strength,

sustaining them with

her own measureless

tremor of dark life.

Touch the earth, love

the earth, honour the

earth,

her plains,

her valleys,

her hills,

and her seas;

rest your spirit

in her solitary places.

For the gifts of life

are the earth’s and they

are given to all, and they

are the songs of birds at

daybreak, Orion and the Bear,

and dawn seen over ocean

DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Above all, blessed Jesus, our Redeemer, let your love for us fire us with love for you. Stamp your dear image on our hearts and let us never wander from the path of complete obedience to your will. Here we stand, asking to be washed again in the open fountain that every sin may be put away; but also begging to be washed in the water “from thy wounded side that flows,” that every wrong desire, every base aspiration, everything contrary to the mind of God may be utterly taken away from us. We beg for you to strengthen your servants for the battles of another year. Give us courage for all the trials. Give us grace for all the joys. Help us to be a holy and happy people! Let the redeemed of the Lord speak well of his name. Whatever our distress may be at times, may we still lift up notes of perpetual joy, glorying in the name of the Lord their God over all.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)

We ought not, as men in Christ Jesus, to be carried away by a childish love of novelty, for we worship a God who is always the same, and of whose years there is no end. In some matters “the old is better.” There are certain things which are already so truly new, that to change them for anything else would be to lose old gold for new dross.

The old, old gospel is the newest thing in the world; in its very essence it is forever good news. In the things of God the old is always new, and if any man brings forward that which seems to be new doctrine and new truth, it is soon perceived that the new dogma is only worn-out heresy dexterously repaired, and discovery in theology is the digging up of a carcase of error which had better have been left to rot in oblivion. In the great matter of truth and godliness, we may safely say, “There is nothing new under the sun.”

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“And the day after they ate from the produce of the land, the manna ceased. Since there was no more manna for the Israelites, they ate from the crops of the land of Canaan that year.” (Joshua 5:12)

Israel’s weary wanderings were all over, and the promised rest was attained. No more moving tents, fiery serpents, fierce Amalekites, or howling wildernesses; they came to the land which flowed with milk and honey and they ate the old corn of the land.

“What you’re supposed to do when you don’t like a thing is change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. Don’t complain.”

― Maya Angelou

“Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently.”