These are the Times

"These are the times that try men's souls.
The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country;
but he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman."

—Thomas Paine, December 1776

Early in the American Revolution, these words appeared in Paine’s pamphlet, The American Crisis. The widely-distributed tract rallied weary Continental Army soldiers who endured bitter cold, lack of decent footwear, and scant rations, as they prepared to cross the Delaware River with General Washington.

Two-hundred-fifty years later, America is, once again, in crisis. Chaotic events tumble across news feeds faster than I can wrap my head around them. I feel angry, overwhelmed, and helpless. Paine and Washington surely must be turning over in their graves.

What is one person to do? Others who are as worried as I are asking people to protest, call senators and representatives, and encourage friends and neighbors to do the same. If enough folks do so, maybe their efforts will make a difference. I hope so. I can even do some of that. Still, it all feels inadequate.

I heard a homily yesterday that caused me to view the situation from a different perspective. Many people suffer, sometimes invisibly, during times of social and political upheaval. That’s nothing new—ask Isaiah. People have felt hopelessness since time immemorial.

There aren’t a lot of actions I can take that will alleviate today’s crisis on a national or international scale. That’s one source of my distress. But I can make a difference on a micro scale, in my own community, by helping my neighbors address the local effects of our broader malaise. It reminds me of the famous Tip O’Neill quote: “All politics is local.”

I am not, by Thomas Paine’s or any other definition, a soldier. But if I can ease the suffering of one neighbor, the world may become just a tiny bit better. Perhaps that’s all I can do for now. Is it enough? I don’t know, but at least it is something.

#MakeADifference #localcommunity #AmericanCrisis

Image: Leutze, Emanuel, Artist, Copyright Claimant Detroit Publishing Co, and Publisher Detroit Publishing Co. Washington crossing the Delaware. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2016817115/>.