Courage is connected with taking risks. Jumping the
Grand Canyon on a motorbike, coming over Niagara Falls in a barrel, or crossing
the ocean in a rowboat are called courageous acts because people risk their
lives by doing these things. But none of these daredevil acts comes from the
centre of our being. They all come from the desire to test our physical limits
and to become famous and popular.
Spiritual courage is something completely different. It is following the
deepest desires of our hearts at the risk of losing fame and popularity. It
asks of us the willingness to lose our temporal lives in order to gain eternal
life.