On October 29, 1941, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill visited Harrow School to speak to the students. The war with Germany was going badly, the German Luftwaffe was engaged in a blitz of London, and England was preparing for a Nazi invasion of the British Isles. Churchill’s speech at Harrow was one of his most famous. In it, he said: “Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never – in nothing great or small, large, or petty – never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense, never yield to force. Never yield the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”
Surely it is good to be determined and steadfast. Surely it is good to hold to singleness of purpose and never lose sight of our ideals and goals. But just as surely, it is good to adapt and be willing to listen to reason, and to change course when necessary. The problem, as we know, comes in distinguishing between the two courses of action. Changing course is different than merely “giving up.” Do we give up merely in order to take the easy way out? Do we give in to despair? Giving up can be found in each of the three temptations Satan presented to Jesus when he was in the desert preparing to embark on his public ministry. Giving up was the last temptation Satan hurled at Jesus as he hung dying upon the cross. When do we give up on others? I’ve known parents who have given up on their children. We’ve known couples who have given up on marriage quickly when they encountered an obstacle or misunderstanding. We all know family or friends who have given up on the Church, or on religion, or on their spirituality or even on God. God, however, never, ever gives up on us.
God bless! Have a wonderful week!