Being a Christian means, historically, to take some risks, to be able to confront some threats by maintaining your spiritual strength. Courage, my dear Christian brothers, will eventually prove to be the wisest path, and is not only a virtue but also a Christian duty.

We should never, never forget that Christ loves courage, that He stood up for honouring the great martyr Stefan, that He wants us to be bold, fearless and unstoppable in front of troubles, suffering and even death. If not, woe will be unto us: we will be enslaved and humiliated on this world, we will lose our freedom on earth through our cowardice and thus, we will lose salvation, giving ourselves the deadly strike, condemning ourselves to judgement and sorrow in this life and condemnation in the afterlife. Being a Christian means, historically, to take some risks, to be able to confront some threats by maintaining your spiritual strength. Courage, my dear Christian brothers, will eventually prove to be the wisest path, and is not only a virtue but also a Christian duty.

(Translation from: Nicolae Steinhardt, Dăruind vei dobândi, Editura Mănăstirii Rohia, Rohia, 2006, p. 285)