Faith in Tough Times

Few people have suffered as much for their belief in truth, righteousness and freedom and lived to write about it as Alexander Solzhenitsyn. He was arrested and sent to a brutal labor camp by Socialists who wanted to destroy the best and smartest people in the land so the common man could rise.

By his faith in God, the Orthodox Church and truth Mr. Solzhenitsyn almost single handed brought down the USSR. He planted the seeds of truth with his books written in prison. He passed into his eternal reward last week after living in exile in America for many years.

An article in the Wall Street Journal said this about him.

Solzhenitsyn has described himself as "an unshakable optimist." On a dark day when one of his helpers had been arrested and interrogated and ended up dead (who knows how?), he could "raise a defiant battle cry: Victory is ours! With God's aid we shall yet prevail!" Virtually every one of Solzhenitsyn's works, of whatever type or length, ends on the note of hope. This is not an accident or affectation; it is a revelation of character and statement of faith.

Solzhenitsyn, Optimist
In his struggle with the Soviets, he had the last laugh
By EDWARD E. ERICSON JR.

Wall Street Journal

August 9, 2008; Page W12

This is what I mean by optimism. It is not a "name it and claim it" type of shallow emotionalism but a belief in the future based on the promises of God and the trust that we who are made in His image can create a better world if we adhere to truth and justice.

Surely this man and many other brave men and women who suffered under the heel of Soviet oppression were optimists. Had they given in to Pessimism every time something bad happened to them we would still be fearing Communist bombs. Instead, America stands alone as a real world power. Do we have the guts and faith to stay strong?