Anyone who has come upon a fragile snowdrop which has pushed its lovely head above late winter snows into the winds of spring has likely thought, "There's courage for you!" Steady courage makes a strong appeal to people. It has caused many a one to lift his head above the storms of earth and to press on and up like the snowdrop.
There are many kinds of courage. Some people think highly of physical courage; some admire intellectual courage; while others are stirred by moral courage. All men are attracted by spiritual, or immortal, courage such as that exemplified by Abraham, ready to offer up his only son Isaac; Joseph, refusing to be discouraged when imprisoned for resisting Potiphar's wife; Moses, braving the dread thunders of Sinai to bring God to men through the Ten Commandments; Elijah, defying Ahab the king and vindicating the one God; Daniel, loyal in prayer and unafraid in the lions' den; Christ Jesus, on the cross, blessing his enemies; Stephen, stoned and praying (Acts 7:60), "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge"; Paul, breaking completely with his past to identify his life with those he had persecuted.
Sometimes our experiences may seem to be in the dark, like the snowdrop under the drift, and we need courage to push through to the light. It would take the highest courage for any of us to withdraw from society for nearly three years to read little else but the Bible in order to bring to light the law of divine healing within its pages. Yet that is just what our Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, did. Moreover, she recorded for us in the textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," her God-sent inspiration, making the truth available for everyone in all ages to come. Courageously she pressed on to establish The Mother Church with all its world-wide activities.
