“Struggle and self-sacrifice by one generation on behalf of the next are the conditions of the perpetuation of the species. History teaches that once a nation ceases to struggle or to be prepared to struggle for its existence… its greatness invariably declines, and its growth ceases.” The speaker was Reginald Bateman, first professor of English at the University of Saskatchewan. Bateman, an intensely patriotic Irishman, volunteered for military service in 1914. These words were part of his address to the University YMCA on a Sunday in October as he packed for Europe. He did not return.
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I learned about Professor Bateman during Archives Week in Saskatoon. One evening some local celebrities read extracts of articles from the city’s historical holdings. My first reaction to Bateman’s theory was agreement. Struggle and effort make us better people. When I was facing obstacles as a youth my parents told me “You will be a better person because of this. This will build character.”
On further reflection, I began to mentally argue with Bateman. If he had been teaching at the university during my student days, I would have enjoyed debating with him. Does our greatest satisfaction come from struggle? Is struggle essential for progress? How much struggle do we need to make life worthwhile? Surely there is a breaking point.
Bateman seems to imply that only the strongest and the fittest will survive. What about our responsibility for the weak and the frail? The notion, common in Bateman’s day, that struggle is essential to produce good has been largely rejected as society becomes more conscientious. Response by Canadians to hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes in other parts of the world demonstrates our willingness to help people who are struggling.
Do we remember times of struggle, or do we hide them in the recesses of our minds? What would be on the list of life events you would prefer to forget? Crop failures, foreclosures, unemployment, rocky relationships…? What we do remember is that our response to struggle made the difference between moving ahead and going backward. I would agree with the late Professor Bateman that there is some benefit from struggle. Difficulties will inevitably come to us in one form or another. The solution is to overcome them as we are able.
Some struggles, of course, are more important than others. Some are matters of life and death. When 82-year old farmer Ray Como got trapped upside down between the grain tank and the motor of his combine near Edmonton, he survived 21 hours by determination as well as struggle. Each of us has our own struggles, and we deal with them in our own way. Examples are all around us. The single mom struggles to put enough food on the table. The family man takes an extra job to pay the mortgage. A woman struggles to control her gambling addiction. A young man the guy can’t control his drinking. A family man struggles with whether to provide his teenagers with fashionable clothing or to save for their education.
When you are doing your best, you resent being told “This is for your own good. You will be the better for it.” Most of us have tried these lines on our children, with little affirmation. However, looking back over my life, my parents were right. Struggles are character shaping. Even if we can’t change a situation, our attitude toward it is within our power.
SuggestedScripture:Romans12:9-21,James2:18-26
Rod Andrews is a retired Anglican bishop. He lives in Saskatoon.
