I asked a rhetorical question yesterday about why patience is hailed as a virtue. A reader of this blog offered some insight: Reference Romans 5:3-5, James 1:4, 2 and Peter 1:5-8: "Patience is hupomone in Greek and her sister is macrothemia – long suffering, an outflowing of love, which is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Patience deals with situations and long suffering deals with people."
I thought, what is the definition of a "virtue?" A virtue is, according to dictionary.com: "moral excellence; goodness; righteousness; a good or admirable quality or property." OK, what then, is the definition of a "moral?" A moral is: "founded on the fundamental principles of right conduct rather than on legalities, enactment, or custom."
If patience deals with situations, and having strong patience makes you a more moral, virtuous person, does that mean you are more likely to make situational decisions based upon what is principally "right" versus customarily "right?" I wonder, were movers and shakers in history characteristically patient people? Well, perhaps not...at some point, the long suffering--patience, of the crowd at the Bastille obviously passed the tipping point.
I fear I am thinking way too deeply for a Friday night...oh, by the way: the Patience Award today goes to the guy at the fast food joint who kindly gave me a free thickburger with my whopper coupon--after a hearty laugh :)
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