Gladiator--A quote similar to the one you gave "Fortune favours the brave" is one from Terence McKenna "Nature loves courage".
Just this morning I was discussing this thread with a son of mine. He and I have been pondering the conflict of old stories of god that do not meet the description of love, justice, mercy and power-- these taught as the sine qua non of godship.
We discussed McKenna's commentary of "Nature loves courage" as perhaps the disembodiment of an entity/god but more as the realization that is courage is love--love that faces peril and loves in spite of fear.
Our discussions encompass something that doesn't disappear even if "god" does. The value of love, the need for love. Especially in the face of disasters and cruelty.
"Love is good" is all the more true if "God is not love".
Cofty indeed makes it clear that there is no evident love in the aimless work of nature. No mercy, no justice.
The rest of the McKenna comment bears reading (if not posting here).Our ideas of spiritual life are hard to discuss coming from caged, narrow ideas and traditions. Locking the Carpenter into a box made by Paul is not where I can put him any more.
I can see the honest carpenter saying "Nature loves courage". "Perfect love casts out fear" may not be the equivalent but it's in the rough region of it.
Thanks for the great subject and clear destruction of the pastor's arguments, cofty.