WE CAN BE HEROES
JUST FOR ONE DAY
WE CAN BE HEROES: JUST FOR ONE DAY
On January 21st, 2025, the world witnessed an act of profound courage when Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde spoke truth to power at the National Prayer Breakfast, directing FOTUS to show mercy to immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, and other vulnerable Americans. So much has happened since then that it’s easy to think of it as heroism just for one day. In truth, the bishop has led a life of personal and public valor, much of which is detailed in her 2023 book How We Learn to Be Brave.
THE COURAGE TO GO
There are many ways to be brave. Perhaps because it is often performed publicly, one of the first we think of is the courage to go. Biship Edgar Budde’s book talks about this at length and offers examples from both her personal life and those of her peers and parishioners. Since her rebuke of FOTUS’ cruel and craven rhetoric, we have seen other instances of ordinary Americans finding this same courage. We saw it when WAPO cartoonist Ann Telnaes quit her long-time job because the paper would not publish her critique of its owner, Jeff Bezos. We saw it again when six federal prosecutors in New York and Washington resigned rather than follow the Department of Justice’s unethical order to drop corruption charges against NY Mayor Eric Adams. And most recently, the actress Issa Rae cancelled a sold-out performance at the Kennedy Center “due to what I believe to be an infringement on the values of an institution that has faithfully celebrated artists of all backgrounds through all mediums.” (CBS News) And no doubt there are many other examples of such courage less heralded yet no less heroic.
THE COURAGE TO STAY
While it may build over time, the decision to leave an intolerable and/or indefensible situation is often a singular act. The courage to stay is a choice we must make over and over again. We see this in the lives and actions of heroes such as Alexei Navalny, the well-known Russian opposition leader, anti-corruption activist and political prisoner. For over 20 years, Navalny and his team published material about corruption in Russia and organized political demonstrations, which resulted in his near fatal poisoning by Russian agents in 2020. After recovering for a month in Berlin, Navalny chose to return to Russia, where he stayed and worked until his death in a Russian prison in 2024.
Closer to home, Americans witnessed the fortitude of Dr. Anthony Fauci. His distinguished medical career in immunology included serving the American public health sector for more than fifty years by acting as an advisor to every U.S. president since Ronald Reagan. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Fauci was a lead member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. FOTUS frequently denounced and defied Fauci’s recommendations, and magats accused Dr. Fauci of undermining FOTUS’ reelection campaign. Despite receiving repeated death threats against himself and his family, Dr. Fauci continued to serve the American people, providing accurate data and advice during an unprecedented period of crisis. For his heroism, Dr. Fauci required federal protection until that was terminated by FOTUS soon after taking office.
And more recently we have seen the courage of FEC Chair Ellen Weintraub. On January 31st, she was fired from her position at the Federal Election Commission, which is responsible for administering and overseeing compliance with federal election laws. She has refused to leave, responding that “"There's a legal way to replace FEC commissioners-this isn't it. I've been lucky to serve the American people & stir up some good trouble along the way. That's not changing anytime soon." (Business Insider) According to federal law, commissioners of the FEC are appointed to six-year terms; Weintraub was appointed for a fourth term in December 2024.
THE COURAGE TO START
Finally, Bishop Adgar Budde’s book discusses the courage to start. The core message of this chapter is that courage, like love, is more choice than feeling. Rather than waiting to be swept away by righteous anger, the courage to start is found when we decide to make a difference. Few of us are in positions to pull the country through a pandemic or pull the plug on a performance at the Kennedy Center. Yet there is much we CAN do, as I detailed HERE. And we can hold our leaders accountable for their inaction.
A single person may be a hero just for one day, but courage is contagious. Pass it on.
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;
Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again
A Psalm of Life—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow