The Virtues in Three Parts

These divisions are far from watertight, but I find them helpful because they help me to pinpoint where I or other people are having difficulty. And they encourage me when I fail because I see that these things are in fact marvellous, and hard.

Please overlook these categories if they send you towards legalism. The last thing I want is for people to be approaching virtue as a series of tasks to accomplish. Better to learn that our living is for God’s glory, and that all things – even the most humble – are to this end. Then who will stop us from being simply, extravagantly, unpredictably, joyfully virtuous.

Part the First: The Good Virtues

These are the virtues of avoiding temptation and resisting evil, and choosing good. They may sometimes appear passive, but, in truth, are nothing of the sort. Each person has some easy, pleasant or habitual wrongs that take great moments of courage and control to be thwarted, as well as a great love for what is right and good.

Part the Second: The Kind Virtues

These are virtues sometimes of deed and always of manner. They are the virtues of not only choosing rightly, but also choosing kindly. These virtues clothe the Good Virtues with humility, kindness and gladness. They are the virtues that say yes. They are the virtues that see a need and meet it.

Part the Third: The Extravagant Virtues

These virtues can be the hardest to learn, for they are foolish and demanding, knowing only the wisdom of the extravagant God who gave up his Son. These virtues are disproportionate, sometimes opposite to what is deserved. They love bountifully, they care happily for another even when this brings suffering. These virtues befriend the unlovely and open hearts to the unkind. These are the virtues that show mercy and forgiveness to anyone.

And then there are the other virtues of discernment, of rebuke, of perseverance, of defending truths. And of all the virtues, the most excellent is love. I can have all else, but if I have not love, I am nothing. And this is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.