It’s a rallying cry that can still be heard among Texans facing long odds at a football games or political rallies.

This harkens to the day 5,000 Mexican soldiers surrounded 185 Texans, led by Davy Crockett, James Bowie, and Sam Houston. When asked to surrender they responded with the epic words, ‘Victory or death!’ Within a few hours the latter had prevailed. But the bravery and courage of those men are the stuff of legend.

That is, until some historians did some digging.

In his book ‘How Did Davy Die?’ author Dan Kilgore puts in writing what had only been whispered; that Houston was an alcoholic, Bowie was a deadbeat running from debtors, and Crockett had actually been taken alive. As a result Kilgore and fellow historian Jeff Long have been threatened, maligned and verbally attacked by Texans who prefer their heroes to be faultless - and the size of their state.

But knowing the truth of these larger than life brave men actually helps us relate to them more fully, and understand the nature of courage as accessible to you and me - and ‘not the absence of fear, but the resistance to it." (Jim Wallis)

After all, it would have been easier for Kilgore and Long to direct their historical curiosities to other areas of their Texas heritage, but in the end they do a great service to us all by sticking up for truth regardless of the cost - knowing that they, like the men they write about, are also exercising courage.

Churchill famously said that courage is, ‘what it takes to stand up and speak.’ And by this definition we find no better New Testament icon than the apostle Thomas, whose story we recall this weekend.

Time after time in the Bible, we see that Thomas exercises the kind of ‘stand up and speak’ courage that’s still in high demand today.

Courage to squarely assess what’s going on.

Courage to decide what makes sense and what doesn’t.

Courage to raise objections when things don’t add up.

The reward for truth-telling, in Thomas’ case, was a hallowed place in our Christian heritage. Not only does he have a place among the 12, but he gives us an example and challenge sorely needed today. 

In what ways do we need to stick our hands up and ask a question?

How is the Spirit promoting us to say, ‘Wait a minute, that doesn’t make sense.’

How are we being asked to be courageous in questioning the way things are unfolding in the world around us?

Dear Lord, may the work and witness of Thomas strengthen us to stand up and speak.