We Have No Songs for Great Halls and Evil Times

The past few weeks have been heartbreaking.  Russia continues its unjust invasion of Ukraine, purposefully targeting civilians in an effort to break the Ukrainian’s spirit.  Azerbaijan launched another attack against Armenia.  And just last night, Hamas crossed from Gaza into Israeli territory en masse to murder and abduct civilians. 

These are only the events that made significant news—we cannot and should not forget about the tragedies occurring in Sudan, Syria, North Korea, Xinjiang, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Haiti, Somalia, Mexico, Ethiopia, and everywhere else the scourges of conflict and oppression leads to human suffering.  The world appears to be on fire, and that doesn’t even include the literal fires and storms brought on by climate change.

In the midst of this, one of the two political parties of the United States has decided to self-immolate.  Regardless of your thoughts on what the U.S. provides for the world, it is inarguable that decisions made by the U.S. have significant ramifications on the global stage.  To have one portion of its government crippled at this time could not have happened at a worse time had our adversaries planned it. 

There is a line from the Lord of the Rings that comes to mind.  Pippin, speaking with the Steward of Gondor, says, “We have no songs fit for great halls and evil times.”  Our great hall of the House of Representatives sits empty and paralyzed.  Evil men and women make decisions born out of their pride that inflict untold suffering on millions of their brothers and sisters.  It is hard to find the words to think about these times, let alone sing for them.

In the Lord of the Rings movie, the quote I mention ends with the Steward making the comment “And why should your songs be unfit for my halls?”  In the book, however, he continues:

“We who have lived long under the Shadow may surely listen to echoes from a land untroubled by it?  Then we may feel that our vigil was not fruitless, though it may have been thankless.”

Though our land is not untouched by troubles, they are entirely self-inflicted.  The cost of that is weighed in our own peace, stability, and yes, lives, but it is also born by those abroad that might have been saved had the power hungry and tyrannical not felt so emboldened. 

There are those that think America should cease its vigil.  More often than not, those thoughts are fueled by populist rage rather than logic, a shortsighted prioritization designed around campaign fundraising instead of actual statesmanship and strategy.  But America—with all its faults and blemishes—has the potential to do so much for so many across the world. 

I believe that Americans in their hearts wish for their neighbors to be well.  I believe that given the chance and freed from the steady drip feed of hatred and division so carefully delivered by algorithms and manipulators, service to others would become the norm instead of the exception.  Perhaps I am naïve.  But that is the world I wish to live in, so it is the one I will set as my standard.

I’ll finish with another Lord of the Rings quote, this time from the movie.  After a significant setback, Frodo asks his companion Sam what they are holding onto to keep going forward.  Sam replies, “That there’s some good in this world, Mr Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for.”

Fight for that good today.  Fight for it tomorrow, and the day after, and every day you can until you have no days left.  But most importantly, recognize that we only make progress in that fight through serving others.  Rage, spite, and pride give us Hamas and Putin.  There is no victory down that path, only pain.  Fight with service, humility, and charity.  It’s when we reach out to others that we become strong, and the world needs that strength now.