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Three foundational Trio: Truth Courage and Morality
Moral courage characterises the highest order of manhood and womanhood. It is the courage to seek and to tell the truth; the courage to be just, to be honest, to resist temptation; the courage to do one’s duty.
A great deal of the unhappiness and much of the vice in the world come from a lack of moral courage and purpose. The weak and undisciplined person is at the mercy of every temptation. A researcher studying self-fulfillment reported that “nothing has subverted self-fulfillment more thoroughly than self-indulgence.”
In order to have moral courage and do the things that are best for us, we must believe we are capable, we must have faith in ourselves, as well as in our values. If we excuse ourselves because “we can’t,” we never will…for “without faith we can do nothing” as the scripture says.
Popular clichés often miss the point of moral courage. For example, consider the description of a person groping for life as someone who “has not found himself.” The statement is not accurate because self is created, not found. We change our circumstances by changing our attitudes and exercising our moral courage.
Or consider those who give up on life and dismiss it as “hopeless.” They have become discouraged and have lost all hope. Of course, the Lord could intervene and help at any time, but He knows it is through the exercise of faith and courage that we grow and become stronger. We learn the virtue of self-discipline that helps forge strong character traits. And the cycle keeps repeating itself.
By blending courage with faith, we create character. Character, in turn, brings the moral courage and faith to stand firm or yield when desirable. And so the circle is complete, ready to begin again.
The actual building of moral courage is an individual, personal endeavour which goes on inside of us each day. It is an achievement, not a gift. It develops gradually through continuous right decisions, and it must be pursued systematically through the end of our days.
Moral courage brings self-discipline, self-respect and self-control. It brings victory over oneself, and that is the ultimate challenge facing each of us in the personal search for truth.
So it is not true what many have said: that truth needs no defence, that truth will overcome the false, with power of its own, with none to speak its name or plead its cause. Perhaps when eternity has balanced all that is on time’s unerring scales, and future, present, past are one, then truth will stand alone, without the aid of just and fearless men.
But, for now, as long as man’s ambition divides the false and true, every particle of truth requires its advocate. It is as Mencken wrote: “The smallest atom of truth represents some man’s bitter toil and agony; for every ponderable chunk of it there is a brave truth-seeker’s grave upon some lonely ash heap…”
Recorded history is evidence enough that falsehood often reaps rewards of fame and praise, while truth inherits the scaffold or the rack: For Socrates the hemlock, for Christ bleak Calvary.
Even now, in these enlightened times and this liberated land, the voice of truth is often either unheard or unheeded. For the sound of truth is soft, almost a whisper. It can be drowned out by the roar of greed or political ambition. It can be squelched by the clang of diplomacy. Its delicate nature is chained by the strong fetters of ignorance and superstition. It is bought and sold by racial prejudice and whispered away with gossip. But, by and large, truth dies the pauper’s death, succumbs to poverty, friendless, without nourishment or aid.
It is not enough to believe in truth, for in truth, “Faith without works is dead.” So, too, a belief without action is a lifeless creed. It is not faith alone which drives Akosombo’s turbines, but faith’s application in harnessing the latent power of the massive Volta Lake.
There is more at stake here than parables and rhetoric. Truth is every country’s most valuable national treasure. And that nation which suppresses it in the name of social convenience, conceals it for the sake of political expediency or camouflages it behind false diplomacy not only deserves to fall, but surely will.
We are all accountable. Every voice adds that much more weight to the side of fact. We must be sincere, objective in our pursuit of truth and unequivocal and dauntless in its defence. Much depends on it.
Conflict at work is more common than you might think. According to 2022 research by The Myers-Briggs Company, more than a third of the workforce reports dealing with conflict often, very often, or all the time in the workplace. The same report found that managers spend an average of four hours per week dealing with conflict, and nearly 25 per cent of people think their managers handle conflict poorly or very poorly.
Addressing a dispute might feel tense or awkward, but resolving the conflict is typically well worth it in the long run. Whether you’re trying to mediate conflict between colleagues or are directly involved, here are seven steps you can take to manage workplace conflict.
1. Don’t put it off
Facing conflict head-on is hard. However, waiting too long to address it can negatively impact your emotional well-being, focus, and the entire office environment. If you’re feeling angry, letting that emotion fester can also escalate it over time. This can make you less responsive to other points of view and make it harder to resolve the issue.
The sooner you can address the conflict, the better it will be for you, the person you disagree with, and your entire team.
2. Learn all you can about the problem
It’s important to determine the type of conflict you’re dealing with. Begin by considering the cause of the conflict. For example, ask yourself whether someone said something that upset you or if you have emotions of anger and resentment that stemmed from something that happened.
Then try to identify if it’s a task, relationship, value, or team conflict. Once you know what type of conflict it is, you can work to resolve it with specific tactics for that situation.
If you skip this step, you may waste time or escalate the situation further by trying to address issues irrelevant to the real conflict.
3. Actively listen
Listen attentively when people share their side of the story. Active listening is one of the most valuable professional skills you can possess. This type of listening involves not only hearing what the other person is saying but also listening to understand their point of view.
No matter your role in conflict, it’s easy to begin sharing your opinion with little regard for the other people involved. However, it’s important to learn about all sides of a disagreement to make well-informed decisions before drawing conclusions.
To reach a resolution, you must step back and prioritize listening over talking. Ultimately, that will encourage the other person to do the same when it’s your turn to speak. –source: betterup.com
Today, I focus on the Temple Of Praise Ministries International (TOP Church) in Helsinki, as I continue my description of personalities or institutions and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The TOP Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments that must be made known to the public. 
Some history
The Church was established in Finland in September 2016. Since its inception, it has steadily grown both spiritually and numerically, by the grace of God, as disclosed to me by Mr Matthew Anini Twumasi, the Presiding Elder of TOP’s branch in Finland. The TOP Church has other branches across Africa, Europe, and America.
The Church in Finland was founded with a vision to create a welcoming and dynamic community where people could experience God’s love and grace (see, www.topchurchfinland.org). According to Presiding Elder Matthew, the TOP Church operates within a unique environment where Christianity coexists with what is seen as a largely secular society.
Despite this, he submits, there are significant opportunities for outreach, unity, and demonstrating the love of Christ through service and community engagement.
Activities
Church services at the TOP Church are typically held on Sundays for the main worship. In addition, there are mid-week prayer sessions, Saturday prayer services, and a half-night service held on the last Friday of every month. “We also organise quarterly programs”, Elder Matthew added.
His impression of the Church so far has been positive. “It is a vibrant and welcoming community where members are committed to worship, fellowship, and supporting one another in faith”, he stated.
In sum, Elder Matthew said the Church continues to grow by God’s grace. “We remain hopeful and committed to spreading the Gospel, strengthening the faith of our members, and making a positive impact in society”, he continued.
Achievements
The TOP Church has a number of achievements and achievements. Some of the strengths include strong community bonds, cultural diversity, and deep commitment to spiritual growth.
I also remember that during the COVID-19 period, I heard that the TOP Church was one such bodies that hugely supported its members and others to cope with the situation.
According to Elder Matthew, the challenges facing the church include “adapting to cultural differences, engaging the younger generation, expanding outreach in a secular society, and securing a permanent place of worship”.
Role in the Ghanaian community in Finland
The TOP Church plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the TOP Church is a religious body for Ghanaian migrants in Finland and other nationalities who want to worship with them for diversity and better intercultural and multicultural understanding.
The Church also has mechanisms in place to support its members who are bereaved as a way to commiserate with them in times of death and funerals.
The Ghanaian community has played a vital role in the growth of the Church. Their strong sense of fellowship, dedication to worship, and active participation have helped build a solid foundation and attract others to the ministry, according to Elder Matthew.
Integration
By its activities, the TOP Church is helping to ensure integration of its members well into the Finish society.
This is important since social interaction and citizens’ well-being are an important part of the integration process.
The role of migrant associations and groups such as TOP Church acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland. Thank you!
GHANA MATTERS column appears fortnightly. Written in simple, layman’s terms, it concentrates on matters about Ghana and beyond. It focuses on everyday life issues relating to the social, cultural, economic, religious, political, health, sports, youth, gender, etc. It strives to remind us all that Ghana comes first. The column also takes a candid look at the meanings and repercussions of our actions, especially those things we take for granted or even ignore. There are key Ghanaian values we should uphold rather than disregard with impunity. We should not overlook the obvious. We need to search for the hidden or deeply embedded values and try to project them.
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
