Today I overhead someone on the phone today asking, “why would someone risk their lives and die for politics?” First, I wouldn’t say they died for politics; they were killed for politics.
Either way, it made me pause for a second and consider why I feel so compelled to speak out and show up in this moment. Have I changed since I left my small town roots? What it the last decade that formed my beliefs and conviction? Sure, those experiences have profoundly shaped who I am and how I show up in the world but, no, this calling to be present for my neighbor and to speak out against the tyranny we see in the streets of the Twin Cities are shaped from my childhood; by the values I was taught in my small town.
I think this is wonderfully encapsulated in the Eagle Scout Challenge which was read to me upon my receiving the Eagle Scout Award in 2007.
The foremost responsibility of an Eagle Scout is to live with honor. To an Eagle Scout, honor is the foundation of all character. The Eagle Scout knows that “A Scout is trustworthy” is the very first point of the Scout Law for a good reason. An Eagle Scout lives honorably, not only because honor is important but because it is vitally important to set an example for other Scouts. Living honorably reflects credit on your home, your place of worship, your troop, and your community. May the white of the Eagle badge remind you to always live with honor.
The second obligation of an Eagle Scout is loyalty. This means being true to your family, Scout leaders, and your friends, school, community, and nation. Loyalty to the troop and your fellow Scouts makes you pitch in and carry your share of the load. All of these help to build the loyalty that means devotion to community, to country, to one’s own ideals, and to God. Let the blue of the Eagle badge always inspire your loyalty.
The third obligation of an Eagle Scout is to be courageous. Courage has always been a quality by which people measure themselves and others. To a Scout, bravery means not only the courage to face danger, but also the determination to stand up for what is right. Trusting in God, with faith in your fellow citizens, you can look forward to each day, seeking your share of the world’s work to do. Let the red of the Eagle badge remind you always of courage.
It’s a challenge to all of us, not as Eagle Scouts, but Americans.
May each of us continue to live honorably, in devotion to our community and country, and the courage to stand up for what is right, seeking our share of the world’s work that needs doing.