Last week at the beginning of camp at the H. Roe Bartle Scout Reservation in Osceola, Missouri, I talked about the importance of loyalty, the ability to stick by our commitments. This week’s homily at the end of camp focuses on the 10th point of the Scout Law, “A Scout is brave.”

Loyalty and fortitude are great virtues for keeping us on track. However, it is possible to be loyal a committed to goals that are in fact pretty small. In order for loyalty to have it’s greatest effect, we have to make big goals. We have to dare to do more than we thought we could. We have to be willing to take risks. For this, we need bravery.

On this Independence Day weekend, we especially note the bravery of those men and women who have fought in our armed forces defending our freedom. We look to the next generation and ask who might be willing to be brave enough to serve. Looking at our readings today, we most especially ask, “Who is brave enough to risk every, to leave it all, for Jesus?”