Our global civilizational combat is more intense, profound and complex now than anytime in recent history. Eighty years ago, just before my generation arrived, our nation with allies ("The Great Generation") engaged in a life-and-death fight with the fascist Axis powers. We decisively defeated them within four years because of our superior economic-industrial base but even more due to our unity in purpose. Immediately we entered the Cold War confrontation with Soviet Communism. That conflict took four decades; again we prevailed thanks to our superior energies, resources, technology/science, and above all unity in purpose.
What was our unity of purpose? Simply put: a world order of liberties and law expressive of the Christian faith.
The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 was followed by a Camelot-like euphoria about the new, unchallenged world order of markets, democracy and freedoms. That did not last long.
Now, two decades later we are in agonistic struggle with, not one, but three hostile, evil empires: Chinese Communism, Islamic Jihadism and Nationalistic Fascisms (specifically Russia.) These are contradictory of each other; but as Iran arms Putin and China holds joint military exercises with Russia, we face the possibility of a new threefold Axis of Evil far more powerful than our previous enemies.
But that is not the bad news! The bad news is very, very bad: We as a civilization are in a civil war, a Culture War with each other. The "American Imperium" or world order of human freedoms and rule of law and democracy remains but is no longer rooted in the Christian faith. We are at war over meaning and purpose: that of God, of powerless-incompetent human life, of sexuality-gender-marriage-family, of the person and the community, of good and bad. Christianity is at war, at home, with Cultural-Liberalism!
We who have received and seek to share the moral-religious-cultural heritage of the West, of Athens-Jerusalem-Rome, are fighting at once four powerful, hostile dynasties! Has anyone ever faced such bad odds? Batman? Zorro? Robin Hood? Luke Skywalker and the Jedi? Aragon and Gandolf? Surely NOT!
Here is the good news: our threefold strategy.
1.With the "Benedict Option" we prioritize gathering our own families within the Church and a network of communities/organizations to protect our faith, our way of life and share it. We cannot control or save the whole world! First things first! We have always known, as believers, that "the world" (understood as society against God) is going to hell. We need to care for our own first and our heritage. But...we cannot entirely detach and abandon the world (understood as all our brothers and sisters under God and God's beautiful Creation.)
2. We don't have to win, but we need to fight! It is like the movie Fight Club! Doesn't really matter if you "win" or "lose." What matters is do you have the guts, the courage to fight? To suffer? Yes even to die...as a hero or martyr? It is like the coach who tells his team: "I don't need you to win! I need you to leave your guts out there on the court! To give your ALL!" We will lose elections, and countries, and our institutions, and our liberties, and our lives. We can't control that! Mother Theresa said it: "God does not expect success; he expects fidelity!" The question is not did we succeed? Did we achieve? Did we win? The question is: Did we fight? Did we give our all? Did we witness, faithfully?
3. The best is left to last: our nuclear option! Our secret invincibility! LOVE! Not sentimental love. But supernatural Charity: the Love of Christ! Love of the Enemy! Love is our certainty! Our victory! Our security! Our ferocity, fearlessness, freedom!
First of all, you cannot fear the one you love. So, as we love the enemy, we are free of fear. We dread neither death, not defeat, nor torture, nor failure. We are interiorly free, serene, hopeful, confident.
Secondly, free of fear and internally serene, we are sober and prudent in our considerations and decisions. We are not impelled by the irrationality of anxiety and anger. We will know when to hold them and when to fold them. We are wise, prudent, decisive, determined, patient, long-suffering, and persevering.
Thirdly, and best of all, in loving the enemy we see in him, not only his error-hatred-sin-evil, but we see the good. And we love the good. And we receive, cherish and revere the good. This allows us to transcend the Culture War, the combat, and at some level make a friendship, an alliance with the enemy, who is also mysteriously my friend and brother. Yes: the KKK guy, the Communist, the liberal Democrat, the Jihadist terrorist, and the MAGA-hat guy! Each is my friend and brother!
My Beloved Grandchildren! And you also Dear Reader! This world you are inheriting is dangerous, violent, polarized, confounded, apocalyptic in the clash of good and evil! It is as if Sauron, allied with the Sith, joined forces with the Joker to dominate Gotham! And Batman needs your help!
Will Batman and his friends prevail? Truthfully, it is unlikely! But that is not the question! The question is: Will you join him? Are you willing to fight, even to death? To draw close to your faith, family, and Church? To love the enemy? To trust always in Christ? To accept failure, defeat, death? To witness always to Truth?
We do not know the outcome of this Apocalypse! What matters only is to stand with Aragon, against impossible odds, at Black Gate:
Stand your ground!...There may come a time when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break the bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day!...This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this earth, I bid you stand! Men of the West!
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