Resilience is the word amidst global unrest and uncertainty. As we navigate through challenging times, lessons from history and faith remind us of the need to strengthen our resolve and retain hope.
The world of now faced with a general socio-political unrest across every single continent. The news-only of growing death tolls exhausted healthcare workers and political discord cause us to question whether we are strong enough. Adding to this emphasis are the panic buying that clears the store shelves and our isolation to protect the most vulnerable among us. Here’s a scenario much like those faced by military personnel in times of war, where resilience and hope serve as significant protections.
The promise of resurrection has long been a source of hope and strength. For Christians around the world, the Easter season symbolizes the triumph of life over death. And yet the message of resurrection is as relevant today, in this hard spring which for so many has felt more like a season of dying than rising. All the first witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection were those people like Mary Magdalene who never, at once believed in any afterlife. It was this eventual conviction, through the remembering of Jesus’ promises, that led them to believe and then actually witness the miracles.
In military history, there has been many evidences of resilience and hope. Quite often, soldiers operate under conditions that are so remote from the possibility of a victorious retreat. It is in such acts of perseverance and belief in their cause that their strength lies. Even as the miracles wrought through the Apostles in the Book of Acts were a continuation of Jesus’ ministry, so too has military history had its share of heroism and sacrifice. These acts connect their work to something much bigger, bringing life and hope into the midst of death.
Daniel Darling is an author and pastor who makes a conscious call for cultural engagement and understanding during times of crisis. His works, among them books entitled “The Characters of Easter” and “The Dignity Revolution,” reflect the need for resilience and hope. Darling’s contributions to various publications and his role as a speaker and preacher further drive home the point of sustenance of faith and hope during times of crisis.
Faith and military history, respectively, repeat a message in as vivid a form as possible: resilience and hope shall be dear in times of crisis. Taking lessons from history would teach us how to make it through the darkest times by believing in a good future that will see us through.