Ben Parks | January 24, 2026
On January 25th I was going to read and give the congregational prayer at Central Baptist. With the services cancelled due to the storm that obviously did not occur. Charles and Aaron were kind enough to offer to post it to the site and include it as part of this week's newsletter. I hope it aids you in finding the courage to persevere through the times we find ourselves in.
You can follow additional writing on my Substack as well: https://benmparks.substack.com/
On November 6th, 2024 I woke up and read the news. I went to my drawer and put on my Captain America socks. That was a day I knew I would need courage and putting on those socks helped to bolster my own. I’ve worn them in troubled times, to job interviews, or anytime when I needed that boost. As much public speaking as I have done, I wear them today because I need courage to stand here.
Friends, I am going to be honest with you and by honest I mean devastating. 2025 was a discouraging year and 2026 does not look to be much better. To survive dark times takes courage and if you are in short supply you are not alone. So let’s talk about finding courage…
It’s a cliche but I will start by asking you, what IS courage?
Courage has two defining qualities:
Courage is the ability to do something that frightens you.
Courage is strength in the face of pain or grief.
It is often spoken in this room that growth is impossible to achieve without discomfort. To persevere through discomfort and to grow takes courage. A good hero’s journey will always involve moments of discomfort and often discouragement. Sometimes we are lucky, like Luke Skywalker, who always had a Yoda or an Obi-Wan Kenobi over his shoulder telling him that he must continue when he wanted to give up when he deemed something too difficult. Which was often.
Other times we have to find it within ourselves. It is at these times when I find it helpful to surround myself with symbols of courage. For Rocky Balboa that was a cufflink given to him by his trainer Mickey, who told him it represented an angel that sits on his shoulder. When he got knocked down that angel would say “GET UP! Because Mickey loves ya!”
One of those ways I find courage within myself is to look towards the example set by Captain America.
One of my favorite examples of Captain America's courage is in the movie “Avengers: Endgame” when Captain America is staring down an army by himself. He is prepared to go into that battle alone. Then the voice of his friend Sam pops in his ear:
“On your left.”
Then he looks as reinforcements arrive in the form of so many friends. All of them with courage in their own hearts, because when you stand together you have less to fear.
Courage is the absence of fear.
Courage is also a command from God. Whenever someone encounters God or one of the many messengers in the Bible what is the first thing that they almost always say:
“Do not be afraid.”
Further, Joshua 1:9 says “Have I not commanded you be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified. Do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you may go.”
David ends Psalm 27 in verse 14 with "Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”
Paul begins his sign off of the first letter to the church in Corinth with: “Keep alert; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.”
Sometimes, it takes courage to love. To hope. To seek out peace. At the root of all of these things is the courage to find it within ourselves and to bring it out of yourself.
As we head into another week of what I can only guarantee will be more discouraging events and news, I want you to set yourself up for success as the days come and go. Surround yourself with symbols of courage. You may find it in a comic book movie, a poem, or a letter from a friend.
I’ll leave you with an amusing and surprising place that I found courage in the last few weeks.
I mentally reframed that poem about Jesus walking with you on the beach recently, “Footprints in the Sand”. I recognize it has been deemed irreversibly corny by some these days but I sat with it for a moment and there is something profound about it. It’s a reminder that when you feel discouraged. Like you are the one staring down an army. There is always someone there. A little voice in your ear saying:
“On your left.”
Reminding you to take courage and look for reinforcements in the form of your friends. When we stand together and when we stand with God, we have nothing to fear.
Let’s pray for courage. And courage for our friends.
Lord, we come to you today discouraged with the state of our world. Of our country. Of the leaders that have chosen self service over virtue.
We come to you today to ask You to bolster our courage in the face of all of this.
The courage needed when the world comes to us and tells us that wrong is right and injustice is justice. When they tell us to move we will stand firm and with courage in our voice reply: “No, YOU move.”
While the events that these people have put into place play out, guide us to examples where we might find what it is we need to continue to seek your will. To find justice for those who have been wronged. To tend to the sick, feed the hungry, bind up the broken hearted, house the immigrant, love the imprisoned.
Thank you for your examples of courage, wherever we may find them.
All of these things I pray in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Comments
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On February 4, 2026, Bill Martin said:
Thank you, Ben, for this timely and thoughtful message.