Knights and Ladies of Faith

The Martyrdom of Rizal, a mural by Carlos Botong V. Francisco

Today is Rizal Day, and it got me thinking about the challenge of demonstrating heroism in a country where to speak out publicly against injustice can get you fined, imprisoned, or even killed. Perhaps the Danish philosopher, Søren Kierkegaard, can offer an alternative and quieter form of heroism.

Kierkegaard wrote of the knight of faith, someone who slays the dragons within. Someone who tempers fiery passions with the constancy of devotion and virtue, who faces the mundane challenges of everyday living without giving in to the dragons of boredom and anxiety. We see these knights (and ladies) all around us, if we but look hard.

They are not showy nor loud. They focus on doing their assigned tasks well, whether it be cooking a meal for their family, or picking up their trash after seeing a movie. They are the backbone of the country, the quiet citizens who consider loyalty to country a civic virtue best demonstrated by voting, working hard, paying taxes in full and on time, and teaching others by their example to contribute to nation-building every day.

Heroism comes in many forms, and while Rizal died for his country, the challenge for us today is to live for and in it. It is easy to fall into despair, to give up and be swallowed by the negativity all around us, blaring from our television sets, written in capital letters on social media accounts. But let us remember that the evils we face today were present in Rizal's time, and HE did not give up. Neither should we. Let us train our eyes to look for the good, the acts of daily charity and grace  when strangers give up seats for others, or hold the door open for the elderly.

Let us salute the brave souls who come forward and challenge the powers-that-be in the open. But let us not forget that we, too, can fight in our own quiet way. The war for the soul of our country is far from over. We must march ever forward.