Perilous times call for exceptional leadership. Leaders who can inspire people to great achievements and great sacrifices. Such was the case with wartime leaders Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill. Remember these words that are etched upon history and lifted nations to ultimate victory?
“We are now in this war. We are all in it-all the way. Every single man, woman, and child is a partner in the most tremendous undertaking of our American history. On the road ahead there lies hard work, grueling work, day and night, every hour and every minute. I was about to add that ahead there lies sacrifice for all of us. But it is not correct to use that word. The United States does not consider it a sacrifice to do all one can, to give ones best to our Nation, when the Nation is fighting for its existence and its future life.” FDR Dec. 1941
“I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat’… Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival.” W. Churchill May 1940 “We shall go on to the end… we shall never surrender.” June 1940
What is common in the words of both of these leaders was a call to sacrifice. People of the Greatest Generation understood that to attain the victory, even survival, meant a life of austerity. They were willing to give up comforts and conveniences for things more valuable – life and liberty. They were united and focused in their determination to win the war. In our nation and world today we are faced with what President Trump calls an “invisible enemy.” He is referring to Covid-19 pandemic which has impacted nearly every country on the globe. It is amazing and inspiring to see the united cooperation emerge even as severe restrictions are placed upon everyone’s lifestyles. Our generation is asked to sacrifice to defeat a common enemy.
Have you noticed that these difficult times seem to bring out the best in people? We know we are in this fight together. Those on the front lines – doctors, nurses, first-responders – are being honored for their service. People are looking out for one another. There is overflowing generosity and random acts of kindness. We haven’t seen this kind of unity since 9/11. It is inspiring!
We hope and pray that this war on Covid-19 will soon be over. Life will return to normal as we’ve known it. Is that what we want? Normal? Is that what God intends? My prayer is that the Church of Jesus Christ would seize this opportunity to share the love of Jesus. In the same spirit of compassion and urgency we will continue to reach out to others who need to hear the Good News. We cannot forget this: we are in a great conflict in which there are many adversaries. This contest is for the souls of men, women and young persons who have never heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a pandemic of ignorance and unbelief. This contest will continue until the Last Trumpet and Jesus returns.
Years ago I read an article which impacted me greatly, written by the renowned missionary statesman Ralph Winter; Reconsecration to a Wartime not a Peacetime Lifestyle. Winter uses the example of the former cruise ship, Queen Mary, now moored in Long Beach, CA as a museum. The Queen Mary was built in peacetime as a luxury liner for 3,000 people. But during World War II it was converted to a transport for over 15,000 troops. A visitor today can see a partition separating the luxurious setting for wealthy patrons from the evidences of wartime austerities with metal trays for dining and bunks stacked 8 high. Winters points out that during times of war adjustments must be made. Some of those adjustments will impact our lifestyle.
So long as people are perishing without ever hearing the Gospel once, we should live a life dedicated to the Great Commission even to the point of sacrifice. When Covid-19 is conquered and pasted into history, the Great Commission of Jesus remains. If the church will respond to the last words of Jesus as people are responding to the call of our leaders to defeat this pandemic, we may actually complete the Great Commission and go home. Let’s make the most of this opportunity that has been forced upon each of us and use it to build the Kingdom of God.
