“It is the mission of religion to prepare man for bravely, even heroically, facing the vicissitudes of life.” 102:2.8 (1121.1)
True religion is not an anesthetic. It doesn’t protect us from pain, grief, loss, or challenge. What it offers instead is a spiritual backbone—a quiet but unshakable strength that allows us to face life, not flinch from it.
When religion fulfills its mission, it doesn’t create comfort addicts. It shapes warriors of peace—people whose faith doesn’t fall apart under pressure, but deepens. It trains the soul to walk through uncertainty without surrendering to fear. This kind of preparation doesn’t come from dogma or ritual alone. It comes from deep personal contact with the divine—a relationship that survives disappointment and emerges stronger.
What’s heroic isn’t the absence of suffering—it’s the decision to keep showing up in love, with integrity, even when life knocks the wind out of you. Religion, at its best, doesn’t just explain life’s chaos; it equips us to meet it, eyes open, heart steady, soul engaged.
