1.Weak Men
One of my favourite Jordan Peterson quotes is,
“…if you think tough men are dangerous, wait until you see what weak men are capable of.”
It’s profound precisely because it’s simultaneously true but not immediately apparent. When asked, “Who is more dangerous? A tough man or a weak man?” we usually reply, “The tough man.”
The problem with that answer is it incorrectly supposes the weak man is such because he’s physically inferior to, or timider than, his counterparts. Instead, we should classify “weak” and “tough” by the content of a man’s spirit and not by the definition of muscles.
In fact, when all factors are weighed on the balance, it might be that an Adonis is more punitive than a totally unremarkable Demosthenes. Look at Samson—physically, the strongest man to ever roam the Earth, and yet, perhaps one of the weakest heroes in the Bible. Though he had more muscle in his arms than in all Israel, his lust betrayed him and he was seduced by a temptress, which led to his ruin.
Samson’s spirit was weak, and thus, eventually, so was his physical strength. A man might be physically strong, but if his spirit is weak and he lacks the courage to use that physical prowess, it’s useless.
For a modern example, look at the men who march to war. All of them are physically fit and “tough,” but some commit atrocities because their spirit sees an opportunity to indulge in heinous evil. Such men are not “tough;” they’re criminals.
Therefore, again, “toughness” is not defined by a man's physical strength, but by his spirit.
2. Protests
The reason we are discussing this is because of the protests. I am thrilled they are happening. I am glad people are demonstrating across the country because they are fighting for freedom, true, but also because they are exposing what our leaders are made of.
As it stands, our leaders are mostly made of corruption and cowardice. As the pressure to end mandates increases, our leaders are committing one of C.S. Lewis’ cardinal sins in his essay On Chivalry:
“If we cannot produce Launcelots [chivalrous men], humanity falls into two sections--those who can deal in blood and iron but cannot be "meek in hall", and those who are "meek in hall" but useless in battle--for the third class [our leaders in Canada], who are both brutal in peace and cowardly in war, need not here be discussed.”*
3. Leadership
How has Justin Trudeau acted over these last two years? How has Jason Kenney acted?
For the extended duration of the lockdowns, Canada has been peaceful. Compared to countries like France or Italy, where saturated and roaring protests have been erupting for months, the citizens of Canada have been very “good” (or perhaps, not good enough. Perhaps it was bad we waited this long to protest). Either way, we’ve been tolerant of our government’s actions.
During those years, Jason Kenney, for example, decided to act unjustly. For example, he chastised Ty Northcott when he held a rodeo in the summer, and Kenney continues to let AHS dismantle what businesses they wish.
However, now Mr. Trudeau and Kenney are being held to the fire for their actions.
But where have said leaders gone? They’re in hiding. This is their “war,” so to say (though the protests have been entirely peaceful). This is their fight to demonstrate why their harsh actions were justified, and yet they’re nowhere to be found!
Leaders such as them were hard and harsh in times when we were tolerant, but now that we're protesting, they've become meek and mild. It seems Kenney and Trudeau prefer to “wait the protests out” and let others do their work for them. In this, “I am not supposing them to be bad men. They are, rather, not men at all.”**
Thank you for reading! If you’d like to stay informed about the Christian's perspective of current events, or if you’d like to join our growing community of members who love truth, subscribe here for free!
If you'd like to support our site and the work we do, click here! Thank you so much for your kind generosity!
* See "On Chivalry" here: https://republicofcallamari.weebly.com/uploads/3/8/0/7/38076783/chivalry_-_cs_lewis.pdf
** See an analysis of Abolition of Man here: https://www3.dbu.edu/naugle/pdf/institute_handouts/lewis/abolition_summary.pdf
Kommentare