Steadfast Joy: In a Culture of Death, the Joy of Christ Prevails
By Savannah O’Brien
There is an old Christian hymn titled Onward, Christian Soldiers and the lyrics read:
“Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, with the Cross of Jesus going on before.” This
is the truth on which we must remain focused: the Cross of our Lord goes before us as we march
onward into battle. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers… of
this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 6:12)
I am often asked why I have chosen to dedicate so much of my time and life to the work
of ending abortion, and why abortion, as opposed to any number of other issues and cultural
battles that may be just as deserving of the same level of attention. My answer is always the
same: if we don’t have life, we have nothing. Every other issue, no matter how noble the cause,
derives its importance from the truth that human life, from the very beginning, has inherent
dignity and value. This is why the human heart breaks over tragedies and injustices such as
human trafficking, child hunger, people being displaced by war and a plethora of other
sufferings. In light of the recent anniversaries of profound tragedies our country has experienced,
with the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the twenty-fifth anniversary of September 11th, 2001,
as well as daily reminders of sufferings throughout the world, I want to convey a message of joy
and peace. My objective is to illustrate why, despite all the seemingly good reasons to despair,
our reason to hope endures.
Christ says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), and that He has come so
that we may “have life and life abundantly” (John 10:10). In light of this truth, we must fight for
life first and foremost. A disease is decaying our culture: the dignity of the human person, and
life itself, are no longer treasured and protected but increasingly viewed as disposable and
contingent upon circumstance. From the celebration of abortion to the resigned despair of
euthanasia, we find ourselves living in a culture of death.
A recent conversation I had illustrates well where we stand. I work for Students for Life,
and much of my work consists of traveling to college campuses and speaking with students about
abortion. Recently, at one university campus, I had an encounter with a young man that was
simultaneously sorrowful and hopeful. He told me he identified as transgender, and at one point
in our conversation he stated candidly: “I am an atheist, I do not believe in God, I believe we live
and we die, and that’s it. Life is about our experiences.” In response, I inquired of him what this
worldview means for people who face unique challenges and sufferings in this life. It was not
surprising then, that he argued for abortion in those cases where a person’s life situation might be
considered less than ideal. Of course, he was simply following his line of reasoning to its logical
conclusion, and while terrible and shocking, it is consistent. If life is solely about our
experiences, then a life of suffering is not worth living. Christ knew we would suffer in this life,
but as the late, and soon to be beatified, Fulton Sheen said: “Christ stoops to conquer”. God
Himself entered into our suffering so He could overcome it. The world misses the beauty of
suffering because it does not view it in light of the Cross. But, a suffering heart united to Christ’s
heart on the Cross becomes a vessel for love, grace and salvation.
My reason for saying this conversation was sorrowful is obvious, but my reason for
describing it as hopeful is threefold. First, our conversation was not one filled with anger and
hostility, but rather marked by a peaceful exchange of ideas and opinions. Second, it was an
opportunity to show Christian charity to someone who desperately needed it and to pray for his
conversion. Finally, it reaffirmed the reality of objective truth. This young man is free to hold
these views, however misguided they may be, but God’s objective moral truth ultimately
prevails.
Conversations like this bring to mind the words of St. Augustine: “Our hearts are restless
until they rest in Thee, O Lord.” I have increasingly grown weary of politics, but it is encounters
like this one that help propel me forward. It is from these encounters that our Lord reminds me
that though there is much work to be done, and we must continue the fight, He is the one who
leads us. We need not fear the enemy, and we must never sacrifice truth out of fear. Our hope lies
in God, our Savior.
Yes, this culture, this country, and this world are filled with sorrow, despair, and evil. And
yet, it is not all grim. Indeed, there is much to be joyful about, as the Christian knows he can
“take heart, for Christ has overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Though we may live in a culture of
death, we serve the Author of Life. Christ has conquered death itself, and so Christian joy
remains steadfast, and together we can say: “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is
your sting?” (1 Cor. 15:55)
The difference between happiness and joy is that joy does not cease in the face of trials;
joy possesses a strength that the feeling of happiness lacks. Christ Himself is the source of our
joy, and so in the face of trials, tribulations, hopelessness, and, yes, even death itself, joy remains
unshaken in the Christian heart. And so, standing firmly in this truth, in the words of the hymn,
let us continue “onward, Christian soldiers… brothers lift your voices, for Christ, the royal
Master, leads against the foe.“
