From the Chaplaincy

Courage

- With warmest regards from The Chaplaincy Team

Huntingtower’s ethos is firmly grounded in its spiritual values. In the Junior School, Term 3 commenced with an exploration of the virtue of Courage, encouraging students to consider what it means to act with bravery, resilience and integrity in their everyday lives.

Reflecting on the virtue of Courage brought to mind a touching personal memory, reminding one of the teachers that courage is often found in the quiet moments when we face our fears. This particular person had an overwhelming dread of snakes. Living on a large rural property, where the house was surrounded by expanses of grassland and uncultivated native bush, they frequently found themselves in snake habitat. As a result, coming face to face with a snake was far from an unusual occurrence. 

A network of gravel paths wound through the bush in various directions from the house. It had become a family ritual to choose one of these paths and take a leisurely stroll around sunset. One evening, her little daughter pointed towards a rock, beneath which a snake appeared to be hiding, with only its tail visible. Every fibre of the mum's body urged her to retreat, to get as far away as possible. But her husband, positioning himself behind the rock, gently lifted it to reveal a red-lipped herald snake. She was coiled protectively around her clutch of eggs, testing the air with her flickering tongue. 

With her heart hammering, the mum remained perfectly still, gradually realising the snake was neither poised to strike nor hissing threateningly. It was a moment to quell her fears, a rare opportunity to observe, with respect and admiration, the quiet tenderness of a mother snake nurturing her young. 

Over the next few weeks, the family continued to visit the snake that had settled beneath the rock. On each occasion, she greeted them with a gentle flick of her tongue, as though she instinctively recognised that these curious humans posed no threat. As the woman’s fear faded, it was replaced by a growing tenderness towards the mother snake, and she soon found herself looking forward to their daily encounters. Then, one evening, her husband lifted the rock and found only the remnants of recently hatched, leathery eggs where the nest had once been. The mother snake and her babies had quietly moved on. 

Whatever shape fear may take, seek out the good, and recognise within it an opportunity to learn, evolve, and grow.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds . . .

- Philippians 4:6–7: