Since I started writing this article, the 1937 anthem by Sir Henry Walford Davies, “Confortare,” has kept ringing in my ears. Sir Henry composed it for the coronation of King George VI, and I encountered it when the arrangement by Sir John Rutter was so beautifully performed at the coronation of King Charles III in 2023.
Some may be familiar with the Latin dictum and motto confortare esto vir, translated variously as “be strong and courageous” or “take courage and be a man,” amongst others. Looking at the lyrics, the reason for the name becomes apparent:
“Be strong, and show thy worth:
keep the commandments of the Lord thy God,
and walk in His ways.”
Although short, this baritone and choral anthem is quite powerful both in its meaning and delivery. (I recommend the reader listen to it performed).
The lyrics derive from David’s charge to Solomon in his last moments, recorded in 1 Kings 2:2-3: “I am going where everyone on earth must someday go. Take courage and be a man. Observe the requirements of the Lord your God, and follow all His ways. Keep the decrees, commands, regulations, and laws written in the Law of Moses so that you will be successful in all you do and wherever you go.”
At the hour of death, David’s prime advice to his son and successor was to “take courage,” to “be strong.” After being on the throne for forty years, King David underlines the importance of courage for Solomon to be successful in guiding, leading, and serving his people. Instructive as this is on its own, David places this charge within an exhortation to Solomon to keep God’s commandments and stay on the path of righteousness. This emphasises that Solomon’s courage should be undergirded by his faith and trust in God.
This is the recurrent theme whenever courage appears in the Bible.
The story of Esther, Queen of Persia and Media, is one of bravery and courage. When her people faced annihilation, her cousin, Mordecai, asked her to appeal to the king, her husband, to save them. At first, she demurred in fear for her life, saying: “All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold sceptre to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.” (Esther 4:11)
Mordecai then admonished her thus: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13b – 14)
Hearing this, Esther took courage and devised her plan to save her people. But first, she sought the Lord, trusting that His will would prevail. She asked that all her people fast for her, as she and her household also observed the three-day fast. She did this not knowing what the outcome of her gamble with her life would be, but she uttered that most courageous of statements: “I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” (Esther 4:16b)
Acts of courage or bravery are often associated with the threat of danger, and no danger is greater than the risk of losing one’s life. However, Esther found the courage to do what was right, notwithstanding the risk, and as the story goes on to tell us in further chapters, she and her people were saved. Courage often is standing for what is just, especially when the outcome is not guaranteed, and the odds do not appear to be in one’s favour.
Where fear says, “Protect yourself at all costs,” courage says, “Do what is needed.”
Of course, one need not be facing grave danger to be courageous. We can also be brave in doing the less grand things. It can be as simple as telling our friends or loved ones the difficult truth they may not wish to hear, speaking up for someone who is being oppressed, or even having the courage to acknowledge a painful reality within ourselves that we would rather avoid. Courage can be shown in many situations.
Christ tells us in John 16:33: “These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” Building on this, St. Paul exhorts the church: “Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13) St. Paul writes because he knows that there will be moments of trial and rough seas, but he also knows that if we are brave enough to stand firm in faith on the Solid Rock, we will prevail. This message, although enduring for all ages, was particularly important for the early church, seeing as so many were martyred for their faith. Millennia later, their courage through Christ has brought the Good News to all the world. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
The word courage elicits the image of valiant knights charging into battle despite knowing that their lives are in mortal danger. However, to be brave is not to be foolhardy and run towards danger without prior preparation. After all, military campaigns are typically pursued by all sides with intentional strategy and purpose.
So, how then do we ready ourselves to act in courage?
Ephesians 6:10-11a and 13b-18a outline how we might be strong through being kitted in the Armour of God: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armour of God, … so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.”
Truth. Righteousness. The Gospel. Faith. Salvation. The Spirit—The Word. These, coupled with prayer, set us up to live with divine courage.
Beloved in Christ, let us set aside all fear and go out daily, walking boldly in bravery and courage, secure in the knowledge that “… we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37b–39)
