Articles
Times of Crisis
I recently read Countdown 1945 by Chris Wallace which chronicles the days and decisions leading to the dropping of two nuclear bombs on Japan. It is difficult for the modern generation to appreciate the enormity of the crisis then facing the world and President Truman as he contemplated whether or not to use nuclear weapons.
Truman was newly inaugurated when he learned for the first time about the Manhattan Project, the intense effort already underway to develop nuclear weapons. War in the European Theater had ended with Hitler’s death, but Japan fanatically fought on in the South Pacific. On the one hand Truman faced Joseph Stalin, who was intent on holding the western territories gained by Russia as they fought the Germans. On the other hand Truman was burdened by the massive projected loss of American troops in a ground assault against mainland Japan. The United States was war weary. The citizenry had made great sacrifices to support the war effort, and the post-war state of the world was uncertain. That’s a lot of stress for a president, and a nation, to bear.
Fast forward to the COVID-19 pandemic two generations later. To date there have been just over 2 million deaths worldwide and 400,000 in the U.S. By comparison, COVID-19 has claimed just about the same number of U.S. deaths as combat and other related deaths in WW2. Seen against this backdrop, Covid is not inconsequential, but it falls short of the disastrous potential facing the world in 1945.
Takeaway: We are a generation unfamiliar with serious crisis. We have enjoyed security, freedom and relative insulation from the world’s poverty, terrorism and suffering. Such softness does not well suit us for a crisis. Our psyche has not been conditioned to endure isolation, fear of the unknown, shortages, etc. If you find yourself in despair, reach out for God in confident trust. He is never at a loss in a crisis.
