War and Peace

Today I happened upon an interesting article from Cracked about "The 6 Most Aggressively Badass Things Done by Pacifists" and, like many things, it got me thinking. Go ahead and read it, it's fantastic. We'll wait.

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Well, either you're a fast reader or a bloomin' liar, but I suppose that's okay for now.

These were 6 ordinary men. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, none of them were superheroes. All of them were humans with lives and homes and families. They all had things to lose, yet they still decided to take enormous risks. They looked death in the eye and then went for it anyway.

They didn't need weapons, they only needed words.

Which brings me to my next example...

That, for the uninitiated, is the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors (Doctor Who). And, if you are uninitiated, fix that. Now. We'll wait.

Wow, seven seasons goes quick, doesn't it?

Anyway, I bring up the Doctor because, like the men in that article, he does amazing things without having to fight. He doesn't carry any weapons, only a sonic screwdriver. A device incapable of killing or maiming.

He faces monsters every day, without weapons, defeats them and doesn't even wait around to be thanked.

We could learn a thing or two from all of these people.

Because the fact is we have to face monsters every day, both within ourselves and in the world around us. We all have to fight demons.

Choosing the way of peace is not "taking the easy way out" - it is arguably a million times more difficult. It is not the "weaker option" either - I imagine it takes a LOT more courage to face your enemies without the security blanket of a gun.

True courage and true love often are synonymous - both require us to open ourselves. To take off the armor. To leave ourselves vulnerable. To give what we are to the world and risk getting hurt in return.

True courage is staring adversity in the face and saying is that the best you've got?