Bringing the Good

Nicole Johnson explains what we can learn about friendship and God's providence through stories of World War II.

There are few things I love more than getting lost in a good book. A hot cup of coffee, a comfy couch and the chance to step into the life and time of a set of strangers—soon to be friends. I look at our vast vocabulary as an artist sees the color wheel: endless opportunity to create a medium that connects, educates, challenges, and if done right, evokes deep emotions that upends the reader’s reality and stirs the reader’s soul long after the last word has been read.

My favorite genres are historical fiction and historical nonfiction. The first is a bit of a happy compromise: the chance to learn about a piece of history under the guise of characters who are unable to actually feel the pain of the lives created for them. The latter an uninhibited deep dive into a history lesson through the heart and soul of those who lived it. I am especially, and perhaps oddly to some, drawn to stories about World War II.

There are many (including my husband) who question why I want to spend my time reading accounts of such brutality, such enormous human suffering. On the surface, I’d tell you it’s because I love to learn—to truly be enlightened. I feel strongly that we all need to place ourselves in the midst of the uncomfortable—and yes, even the horrifying—so as not to become complacent in our search for good among evil.

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If I go a step deeper, my true fascination with reading these firsthand accounts is the finding of God in the midst of such unimaginable suffering. While most sit back and question where God is and how He could allow these things to happen, my own faith is deeply affirmed by the retelling of miracles within the darkest hours of humanity. Simply put, if the presence of good can be found among such evil, then there is proof that God showed up. And I don’t know about you, but I can always use a reminder that God isn’t afraid to step into the ugly.

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Since we were all created in God’s image, each one of us has what we need to be the good in bad, the beautiful in the ugly, the peace in the unrest. #CatholicMom

I recently watched the documentary Hell Or High Seas (Amazon Prime) and a Netflix movie based on true accounts, titled Thank You For Your Service. Both were appropriately and intentionally watched over the fourth of July weekend. I’d highly recommend both movies—not because they were entertaining, but because days later I am still carrying the weight of what the soldiers endured while protecting the freedom I can so often take for granted.

Despite the heaviness of the topics of the two films, I am comforted by the undeniable reality of God’s intervention in each of these men’s lives. And not because they were good Christians and did everything right, but because they brought the good to a place of evil.

Since we were all created in God’s image, each one of us has what we need to be the good in bad, the beautiful in the ugly, the peace in the unrest. History has proven it can be done. Something to think about.

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