“Before my father died, he said that the worst thing about growing old was that other men stopped seeing you as dangerous. I’ve always remembered that, how being dangerous was sacred, a badge of honor. You live your life by a code, an ethos. Every man does. It’s your shoreline. It’s what guides you home. And trust me, you’re always trying to get home.” (Lieutenant Rorke in the movie, Act of Valor)
To be dangerous is sacred. This may seem odd. When we think of something being sacred or holy, our first thoughts more likely involve images of wonder and beauty, love, wisdom, peace, or purity. We may think of Jesus, Buddha, the mystery of the universe, the glory of a summer’s day, or the spontaneity and innocence of a small child. These things represent the light side of sacredness, the sacred as inspiration, healing, harmony, and wholeness. But the sacred has a dark side. It protects what is good and battles what is evil. God is Love, but God is also Dangerous.
Are you a force to be reckoned with? Would someone not want to mess with you? You may not see yourself in this way. You may not be very strong or imposing, you might even be weak, frail, or uncoordinated. Yet, there is a part of you that is capable of being dangerous. Your dangerousness is instinctual. It is present whenever you are willing to fight for something you deeply love or cherish.
You are dangerous not so much because you are strong, quick, or skilled in fighting. You are dangerous because life supports those who are willing fight for themselves, who are willing to fight for what is right. Therefore, if it is your time to fight, you are not as alone as you may think. Although none of us is invincible, we are all potentially dangerous. And dangerousness is a sacred thing.