CDA Dallas - Classical Christian Series 1 (Moral Muscles)
Virtues are moral muscles.
There are some things that are very real, and yet very invisible. We often see the result of these things, but the thing itself remains unseen.
Wind is a good example. Wind is very real—nobody would argue with that. But it is also very invisible. There are no wind particles that make up “wind.” We can see trees or dust or debris being moved by the wind, but we cannot see wind itself.
Gravity is another good example. As a force, it is not something we can see. But we do see—and experience—its effects.
This is a created universe.
As such, this universe operates according to the will of its creator. And the will of its creator most often plays out through invisible realities—invisible forces that hold the physical world together and ensure that it continues to exist.
Much of the work of science is simply to discover the patterns of these invisible forces that govern our physical universe. When humans grow in their understanding of the invisible physical rules that govern the universe, it often—though not always—leads to more flourishing.
This is as true in the moral realm as it is in the physical realm.
In other words: there are invisible moral forces that—though we cannot see them—are very real.
In the moral realm, the virtues are a great example of these invisible but real forces.
Virtues are not ideals, or characteristics, or theoretical benchmarks.
Virtues are moral muscles.
They may be invisible, but the virtues are very real muscles. And they work just like our physical muscles.
What do you know to be true about our physical muscles?
Our muscles grow stronger through exercise that almost always involves pain. We gain physical strength through suffering; we should expect no less in the moral realm.
Our muscles grow weaker when we fail to use them for a period of time. Muscle atrophy is the norm in the physical realm, and it is no different in the moral realm. When we fail to use our moral “no” muscle, that muscle itself grows weaker over time. Without exercising this muscle, we become less capable of saying “no” when it matters most.
The exercises we use to strengthen a muscle are not always tied to the way we need to use that muscle. The actual motion of a push up is not particularly helpful in most daily activities or sports. But push-ups strengthen your muscles so that you can use them for things that matter more than push-ups. We strengthen our moral muscles using specific exercises (fasting, for example), even when those exercises themselves don’t appear to matter a great deal.
Our bodies work best when our muscles are balanced in strength. If our upper body is significantly stronger than our lower body, or our left side is significantly weaker than our right side, we are not as physically capable as we could be.
Like our physical muscles, the virtues are organized into various muscle groups: the cardinal virtues, the theological virtues, and the academic virtues, to name a few. Over the next several weeks we will explore these muscle groups together.
Along the way, by learning about the invisible muscles that rule our moral selves, we will better understand our children, our community, and ourselves.
By Jon Jordan
CDA Dallas Headmaster
