So there are a number of situations that are of concern around the world right now:
– The Afghan and Pakistani Taliban are conspiring to get their hands on Pakistani nuclear weapons.
– The Chinese are still preparing to blockade Taiwan and bring down the global economy.
– The Venezuelans are discussing with the Russians the idea of arming hypersonic missiles with nuke warheads.
– A worst-case scenario nuke attack could wipe out 90% of the U.S. population.
It’s easy to point out that most people are either oblivious to or purposefully ignoring the news.
For us worriers, C.S. Lewis wrote about the possibility of a nuclear attack, noting that death will come for each of us someday. The worry is pointless.
That is a comforting thought.
On the other hand, tuning out is not the answer. We still have concerns. We can’t be totally divorced from events.
This goes back to Eric Metaxas’ book Letter to the American Church, wherein he relates the story of the German Church’s refusal to do anything about the horrors going on all around them during WWII. Metaxas has been accused of alarmism and hyperbole. Not all problems can be equated to the Nazi scourge.
The critics are also right on that. But when should we be concerned?
As Americans, we are the government. We hold the weapons (figurative and literal). And as citizens, we need to be informed and engaged.
I don’t want to throw out patriotic platitudes, but these responsibilities are for us to own. Those old white men in the late 1700s were an aberration from the governments of Europe. They had the opportunity to start from scratch when creating our government, drawing on the best of ancient Israel and ancient Rome.
Yet, the promises of the Declaration must continue to be realized for minorities and women. But why throw away the whole idea of “all (wo)men are created equal”? It does not make sense. These truths are self-evident, they cannot be denied.
Prayer is efficacious. I must continue to have faith. I must stay concerned. I must responsibly stay engaged. I must not be discouraged.