Thursday, February 15, 2018

The Darkest Hour—Until the King Came

It is the darkest hour, not merely for England, but for the man who literally carries the weight of the world on his shoulders: Winston Churchill. To surrender and negotiate terms of peace and live, or to fight and likely lose and die and sacrifice thousands of innocents? The leaders of parliament and even his own armies are calling out to negotiate. With a tiger, a madman, a tyrant: Adolph Hitler. There is only one man Hitler seems to fear: Winston Churchill. And only Churchill understands that there can be no peace, ever, with a tyrant. Only slavery.
 
Belgium has fallen and France nearly so. 300,000 British soldiers have been surrounded and pushed to Calais and Dunkirk on France’s northern coast where German bombers are finishing the job. There is no hope. Churchill decides to sacrifice 20,000 troops in Calais by having them draw all the enemy fire, while hoping to evacuate the rest at Dunkirk.
 
But the skies remain clear for German bombers. And Calais falls. Only the narrow English channel stands between the Nazis and home. It is over. Negotiation is the only hope of preserving his people.
 
Churchill is utterly alone. His own party is against him, his military leaders have given up, even the King has talked of evacuating the royal family. To Canada. Only his wife remains by his side.
 
 
 
The rest of this scene (which I can't find!) is where everything changes. King George comes to visit him! Churchill asks the king for his thoughts on all of this. And the king responds, “I'd rather hear yours first.” Churchill mutters that he cannot imagine negotiating with a dictator. And the king whispers, “I'm with you.”
The King. Of. England. Has come to Churchill. And whispered his support.
And in that pivotal moment, everything changes. Suddenly, Churchill finds courage to do what he knows is right…
Because the king came and whispered.
 
 
We, too, have a King. The King of Kings. He is so anxious to whisper in our ears. Words of encouragement and compassion and purpose. He hears our cries and longs to speak, if we'll but slow down and be silent long enough to hear Him. What He says can change everything in a moment.
 

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