Strength and honor is not a right it is a privilege

One of my favorite moves of all time is Gladiator. The story is about two men, one is a warrior who loves his family, country, and king (Maximus) and the other is a politician who loves greed, power, and lust (Commodus). The movie presents the dichotomy of strength and honor compared to weakness and cowardice.

It is the strength and honor that I find the most intriguing. Maximus tends to be a quiet but calculating man. However, when forced to play the hand life has dealt him, he unleashes hell in all of its fury. So is it any wonder that one of my favorite lines in the movie is “strength and honor.”

There are many definitions of manhood. And being truly strong has nothing to do with how big your muscles are or how much power you hold. It has more to do with the content of your character and value of your integrity. A strong man’s life is defined by sacrifice. What is he willing to give up? (I am not talking about sweating the small stuff, there is a much lager scope of life to deal with.)

For many, life is about getting all you can, canning all you get, and then sitting on the can. It is a journey in selfishness and hardship. However it doesn’t have to be. While we will face hardship, the decision to be selfish or not is ours.

Think of some great men in recent history. The ones that come to my mind are Martin Luther King and Gandhi. When you think about great men, who do you think of? Who are the leaders of today that follow in the footsteps of those from yesteryear? Here is a challenge for you, who is the MLK or Gandhi of today? These men did not live that long ago. Who was it before them? Abraham Lincoln? William Wilberforce? Saladin?

I am sure that we will look back 50 years from now and see someone. However, in America it is becoming increasing difficult. The two major sides of the cultural spectrum are only concerned with warring with the other side. Demonizing is standard practice and very few take the time to understand others these days. The lines of civility are becoming blurred. Strength is being relinquished in favor of placation.

This is where we need to step in and say enough is enough. For every politician that abuses their office, there is a man who could challenge them. For every person caught in a human trafficking ring, there is a man who can stand up and do something to stop it. Men have shed their strength and honor for a false similitude of peace and safety. Where is the passion? Where is the strength? Or, are we going to expect that someone else will stand up and do something?

“All that is necessary for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing” – Edmund Burke