Be courageous when faced with danger

A man was walking down a dimly lit street one evening when he heard muffled screams coming from behind a clump of bushes. Alarmed by this, he slowed down to listen, and panicked when he realised that what he was hearing were the unmistakable sounds of a struggle; heavy grunting, frantic scuffling, and tearing of fabric.

Only yards from where he stood, a woman was being attacked. ‘Should I get involved?’ He thought to himself. But that very thought sent a cold chill down his spine because he was concerned about his own safety.

‘What if I become another statistic?’ He pondered as he contemplated his next move. ‘Should I run to the nearest phone booth and call the police or should I be brave and save the victim?’ As these thoughts raced through his mind like vehicles on a busy highway, he cursed himself for having taken that route home.

Although it seemed like an eternity, the deliberations in his head had taken only seconds, and the sounds coming from the bush were now clearer. This was a desperate cry from a girl that was now growing weaker and weaker with the passing of each second. At that moment, he knew he had to act fast.

‘How can I walk away from this? I must do something,’ he finally resolved. He did not know the girl but he felt the need to help her. He knew very well that if he didn’t, this cry would haunt him for the rest of his life. Therefore, he decided to act. He could not turn his back on the fate of this unknown girl, even if it meant risking his own life.

He was quite aware that he was not that athletic and pugilistic; neither did he possess the physique that would intimidate the assailant when he saw him. He knew how disadvantaged he was physically. His body size coupled with his height, were not ideal to engage in a fight. But despite all these, he knew the girl needed help and he had to do something about it. He mustered his courage and decided to venture into the bush like a hunter waylaying his prey. When he finally zeroed in on the assailant, he felt an upsurge of energy and strength in his body that overrode his hesitancy and timidity. He surged forward into the bushes and pulled the assailant off the girl. Grappling, they fell to the ground, wrestling as they exchanged heavy blows until the attacker sensing defeat, jumped up and escaped through the thicket. Panting hard, he scrambled up and approached the girl who was now crouching behind a tree, sobbing hysterically. Because of the thickness of the bushes, he could hardly see her face but he could sense her fear.

She was so afraid and he could hear her gasping for breath and knew she was trembling in shock. He decided to speak to her softly from a distance so as not to frighten her further. ‘It’s okay,’ he said soothingly and cautiously. ‘Your attacker has gone and you are now safe with me.’ She was silent and after a while to his amazement she said, ‘Daddy, is that you?’

At first he thought he was hallucinating because this voice was so familiar. It sounded like someone he knew. As he stood still trying to grasp what was going on, the terrified girl appeared from behind the tree. She approached him hesitantly and he couldn’t believe his eyes. Coming towards him was his own daughter with tears flowing down her face.

He reached out instantly and held her in his embrace, speaking words of comfort to her. His daughter clung tightly to him, drenching his shoulder with tears amid deep hysteria. With a shudder, the father tried to come to terms with what would have happened had he not intervened.

What if he had succumbed to fear which seemed like the logical choice? What if he had turned away and pretended that he didn’t hear anything? He would have missed an opportunity to exercise courage and save his daughter from harm. How many times have we missed opportunities to express courage because we are afraid of what we think we can’t surmount?

Yet if we stepped out we would find that we can! How many times have we let a wonderful opportunity pass us by when God was counting on us to act with bravery? How many times have we succumbed to fear when we should have been robust and courageous? This man would have been haunted by his daughter’s cry if he had simply walked away.

It was good he ventured into the bush to save her. It was courage that nerved him to risk his life to save a girl who later on turned out to be his own child. He saved her from a man that was about to defile her and permanently steal her innocence.

A look at history reminds us of the early days of World War II when Hitler’s forces outnumbered all other armies in the world; an army that was equipped with superior weapons. They took over the Dutch, Belgian, French and English forces, pushing them back into the English Channel. Britain stood at the edge of the shadow of Nazi occupation.

Some British politicians were paralyzed by fear because the threat of Britain being conquered and vanquished by the enemy was so real. All they could see was defeat, destruction and death. They saw no hope and openly advocated surrender to Hitler as a win-win move for both sides. A country like France negotiated the terms of an armistice with Germany, and many people believed that Britain was doomed to fall as well.

But on May 13, 1940, the newly- appointed British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill gave his first speech to the British Parliament to prepare the nation for war. This speech reflected his relentless courage to repel Hitler’s forces and free Britain from the clutches of colonisation.

This is what he said: ‘I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I will say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us: to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime.’

That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: Victory—victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival. Let that be realised; no survival for the British Empire; no survival for all that the British Empire has stood for, no survival for the urge and impulse of the ages, that mankind will move forward towards its goal.’

But I take up my task with buoyancy and hope. I feel sure that our cause will not be suffered to fail among men. At this time, I feel entitled to claim the aid of all, and I say, come, then, let us go forward together.’

This speech not only prepared Britons for war, but it also nerved them to be willing to risk all to protect their country. It stiffened their resolve to stand up and say no to Hitler’s domination.

Fear is a legitimate response to great danger. When our lives are in danger, our natural response is fear. However, if this feeling is left unchecked, it can have disastrous effects on our health, relationships and destiny. Life is not easy. It is a daily journey through a quagmire which metamorphoses overnight to present a new challenge every morning.

Therefore, it does require that you defy all odds to experience the blessings locked up in its complexity. Every obstacle you overcome adds another victory to your scorecard, another brick in your wall and a reason to press onwards. This is what made Sir Winston Churchill incite Britain against Hitler’s domination. He could have shrunk away from confrontation for fear of failing.

He could have succumbed to apprehension like his cronies and fellow politicians had done and settled for a truce like other countries. Yet he chose to be different. He chose to overcome cowardice and made a choice to be courageous.

He became relentless in his pursuit of Britain’s freedom, which he eventually achieved. How would you live if you had to face fear and conquer it? Would you be willing to take risks, especially when it portends harm for you? What kind of difference would that make in your life and in the lives of others?

Excerpts from his book: ‘’Facing life with courage’’

END: BL 42 / 46-47