Dr. Mark Quanstrom, a nationally renowned theologian and scholar, serves as senior pastor of College Church of the Nazarene University Avenue, and a full professor of theology and philosophy at Olivet. A 1977 graduate of Olivet, he also holds degrees from Nazarene Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from St. Louis University. Mark recently completed his second book, “From Grace to Grace,” published by Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, and he was the recipient of the 2012 ministerial “O” award.
In my personal dictionary, the word “courage” is defined by the name Grace Pelley. Grace is from Ohio and is a sophomore at Olivet majoring in English. She lives in a dormitory on campus and eats her meals in the cafeteria, as do most of the other students. She is a typical college student in that she enjoys being on her own, likes most of her classes and enjoys being with her friends. She faithfully attends College Church of the Nazarene on Sundays, and that is where I first met her.
“I don’t think people realize how much God has done to help them.” She said, “I have beaten so many odds, I couldn’t have done that on my own.” Now I do not know if she knew this, but what she gave in that short answer is the Christian definition of courage. Courage is not simply the inner strength or fortitude to confront challenges. Courage is not being able to summon up the will to overcome fear. For Christians, courage is directly related to faith. The ability to be
For Christians, courage comes from the faith that God is with us. With such faith then, the courage to overcome fear and confront challenges is a possibility for everyone, every day. Why is her name the definition of courage in my personal dictionary? Because she is your typical college student except for one thing: she has cerebral palsy caused by a stroke due to a difficult birth. She is able to walk but only arduously with crutches. She is unable to feed herself or do the other tasks most of us take for granted. Four other young women at Olivet assist her in getting ready for her day, help her with her meals, take notes in her classes, and write papers as she dictates them. She has difficulty talking, but with much effort, can be understood. I sat across from her at a table in the Red Room when I asked her permission to write about her. I asked her to help me understand what gave her the courage to do what she is doing. I mentioned that many other young people would not attempt to come to Olivet, live in a dorm, eat in the cafeteria and go to class while suffering from such a severe disability. The answer she gave is the reason why she is my definition of courage.
courageous comes from the confidence that God is our Strength and Help. The call for courage in the Bible is always accompanied with the promise that God will be with us. To cite just one example, when Moses called on the children of Israel to enter into the Promised Land, he said, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6) For Christians, courage comes from the faith that God is with us. With such faith then, the courage to overcome fear and confront challenges is a possibility for everyone, every day. Grace Pelley is the definition of courage in my dictionary, precisely because she knows Who is her Strength and Help. The courage she illustrates everyday on Olivet’s campus comes from her knowing, “I couldn’t have done that on my own.”
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