“The test of courage comes when we are the minority. The test of tolerance comes when we are in the majority.” – Ralph Sockman

Dee read this to me this morning while we were driving and for some reason it really stuck with me throughout the day. Two sentences with such profoundness! When I first heard it, I don’t think I fully understood the true meaning that lay behind those few words. So I looked up two key words to help me understand the sentences a little more 1) Courage and 2) Tolerance.

Courage - the ability to confront fear in the face of pain, danger, uncertainty or intimidation.

Tolerance - a social, cultural and religious term applied to the collective and individual practice of not persecuting those who may believe, behave or act in ways of which one may not approve.

I don’t know about you, but I never really took the time to think about the depth of those two words before. I mean, these words are used so often in our everyday language, yet we don’t really take the time to fully embrace their meanings.

During the Lenten season we are called upon by Jesus to PRAY, SACRIFICE and UNITE with HIM for 40 days. In these 40 days we are to, as I understood it from Father’s Homily, take the time to be alone in PRAYER with the LORD our GOD. For some, taking the time out of their busy schedules to be with God is as routine as it can be. Yet for the others it’s a struggle! I would have to say that I’m one of those who struggle to take the time to be with God, alone in prayer. I believe that God calls us (the minority) to build up the courage to journey with Him in this Lenten season. I say “the minority” because I really believe that the amount of people who do build up the courage to journey with him is but a mere few. As I see it, when we do build up the courage to journey with Him as individuals we become a UNITED Church!!! A Church that is of FAITH and LOVE! And when we have those two weapons (FAITH and LOVE) we become a strong force. AMEN? AMEN!!! BUT...what happens when we become that strong force??? What happens when we become the majority! I truly believe that when there is a majority there is always an opposing force that wants to destroy and become that majority! So what do we as a Church do to prevent the collapse of our Unity? I don’t think I have the amount of knowledge to say what we should be doing, but the one thing that I know that can NEVER be wrong is to…PRAY and believe in our LORD. So let’s continue to TRY and SACRIFICE a bit of ourselves to be with our LORD our God during this Lenten season!

AMEN!!!