Don’t lose faith. Not now. Not ever.

In J. R. R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings,” King Theoden of Rohan is described as “a lesser son of great sires.” Temporarily driven mad by the toxic whispers of Orthanc, the “wizened,” “pale,” and “heavy-lidded” lord wallows in the shadow, enabling evil to spread unchecked by his inaction. In contrast, Denethor, the Steward of Gondor, is said to have been “more kingly” than his predecessors. But that is only half of the story.

When Gandalf frees Theoden from the enemy’s grip, the once again kingly sire re-embraces his purpose, fighting to rid the world of the evil he formerly succumbed to. Despite impossible odds, he rides to the aid of Gondor, meeting the enemy on what he knows to be an unsurvivable battlefield. This he does because he knows it is right—because he has faith in the cause. Spurred on by hope and the good “worth fighting for,” he recaptures his glory, even at the cost of his life.

The Steward’s story, however, does not end so nobly. Confronted by the same impossible odds, Denethor abandons reason for madness, hope for faithlessness. “The fool’s hope has failed,” he says, “all we do is ruinous.” “Soon all shall burn. The West has failed.” “Go forth and fight! Vanity. For a little space you may triumph on the field, for a day. But against the Power that now arises there is no victory.”

In the end, both men perish—Theoden on the field of battle, Denethor in an altogether less glorious manner. “I go to my fathers,” says the redeemed “lesser son” as he dies, in whose “mighty company I shall not now be ashamed.” But Denethor could make no such boast. Even as his other men died to defend his city, the craven old cynic ended his life in a flame on a pyre.

Herein lies a parable of faith—the power of hope, the madness of faithlessness. Faith led one lord to recapture his sanity; faithlessness cost the other lord his. Confidence in the justness of their cause and the strength of his people forged a hero out of Theoden; defeatism and doubtfulness drove Denethor to despair.

Moreover, herein lies a cautionary tale of what happens when our politics becomes marked by disenchantment. How often have we fought because of our bitterness or hatred? How rarely have we fought because of our love, whether for God, our country, or one another?

Faithlessness and despair are on the rise in America, and they are extinguishing us. How much longer will we last if we do not believe in that for which we fight? Soon, we shall find ourselves standing athwart history, yelling neither Stop nor No, but among those who resign themselves to a dark, ruinous fate. It is only a matter of time before we, like Denethor, stand atop the White City, behold our enemies, and cry, “There is no victory.”

But it does not have to be this way. While the media has entrapped us in a roller coaster of distress, we do not have to succumb to their designs.

The American cause is dying because we have lost faith in it—because we have bowed to the prevailing anguish of the age. Imagine, though, what might happen if we channeled all the energy we typically allot to brooding about our woes to effecting a solution? If we left Denethor to his useless musings and joined Theoden on the field of battle?

Men of the West, patriots, fathers, and mothers, now is no time for abandoning faith. “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). Hope, in other words, still remains. If you do not believe this—if hope itself has become a lost cause to you—we dismiss you from our ranks. We do not need your service. But if you, like Samwise Gamgee, are holding onto the good in this world worth fighting for, the light and beauty that no shadow can touch, then this is where you belong.

The grassroots in America are rising up. Not because we’re fueled by anger, but because we know that, “in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines, it will shine out the clearer.”

Farewell to those who surrender to the darkness. Our faith is alive and well.

Convention of States is coalescing an army of over five million patriots who believe America is worth fighting for. To join the movement, sign the petition below.