WOMEN OF COURAGE
On March 8, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden helped the U.S. State Department honor twenty-one women with the International Women of Courage Award. Seven of the women had been murdered in Afghanistan while serving their communities. The other fourteen were from were from Belarus, Cameroon, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guatemala, Iran, Myanmar, Nepal, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Venezuela. They had all faced tremendous difficulties, and many had endured imprisonment, threats, and violence. “You see, courage isn’t really found,” Biden said. “It’s an intentional decision made.”
MAN OF COURAGE
The prophet Elijah made an intentional decision to present himself before King Ahab, who was on a murderous rampage to locate him. Obadiah, the king’s official, also had to summon his courage to go to Ahab and promise that he would find Elijah in the place where Obadiah said he would be. If Elijah left or hid himself, Ahab would certainly have had Obadiah executed. But Obadiah trusted himself to the Lord and the prophet, and he led Ahab to Elijah, where an epic confrontation was brewing.
Questions
- What’s the most courageous act you’ve ever witnessed or heard about?
- How could you have done what Elijah (or Obadiah) did if you were in their position?
- This is Palm Sunday—what courage do you think Jesus or others exhibited on this day?
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