Defining Moments Today

When bad things happen, they result in one of two things: people grow stronger or people grow weaker. Over the course of the last year, we as a nation have struggled through the COVID-19 pandemic. The question then rises, will we, as individuals and as a nation, be made stronger or weaker by this?

I hope and pray that this struggle will strengthen our faith, relationships and patriotism. But it seems like the opposite is happening. Churches have closed, and those that have reopened still restrict attendance to comply with state and city mandates. Many people have not seen their family or friends for months, and those who live alone might go without speaking to someone else for days. Protesters tear down statues of men who fought against slavery – all in the name of justice and equality.

In the meantime, governors are wielding their emergency powers for times not permitted by state constitutions. Lawsuit after lawsuit has been brought against them, and while some cases have succeeded in restoring freedom to the American people, far more have failed.

It’s up to us to decide, both as individuals and as a nation, whether we will let the pandemic and everything that comes with it weaken us, or whether we will be made stronger by it? Right now, things don’t look promising. Americans are steadily losing their freedoms and hope is going with them. I pray that we will be able to triumph over tyranny and despair in this defining moment in American history and in the history of the world.