In 1776, Thomas Paine wrote a letter titled The American Crisis. He opened the letter with these unforgettable words:
“These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldiers and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country, but he that stands it NOW, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”
St. Paul, another great thinker and writer, who lived many centuries earlier, wrote a letter to the Church in Rome saying at the close of Chapter 12, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Reading words of this nature lifts our hearts, minds, and souls, but the mere reading of the words will not save us or our nation. We are under siege by evil and those who think that they can gain more power by making people scared, and by scattering them and driving them into silence because of fear. And yet we also know that the only thing that is needed for tyranny to win is for good people to do nothing.
We see evil at work as it seeks to make people afraid and scattered, thereby eliminating any opposition. I think Paul’s words give us a place to start when he says, “Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.”
There are three particular areas of life that need our attention and action:
- Our spiritual formation
- Building of community
- Sustained action
This, as I see it, is our time of “American Crisis.” While I am concerned, I do not feel panic, nor do I feel without hope. Why? Because I believe that God is with us, we are not alone! Let us go to work!
