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Smart people have informed me I am on
the wrong, or losing, side of history.
But will there be
a right and winning side when the world is gone?

For as the last lone human corpse goes rotten
(whether in snow or scorched, it little matters),
history, in tatters,
will shake its fist at distant stars, forgotten—

unless there is a living Memory
above us, or beneath, with power to raise
our sunken days
up to the daylight of eternity.

In which case, I accept the losing side,
whatever grief the gloating mob may give.
Does Christ not live,
though Rome has long since perished in her pride?

Dear Reader,

You have a decision to make: double or nothing.

For this week only, a generous supporter has offered to fully match all new and increased donations to First Things up to $60,000.

In other words, your gift of $50 unlocks $100 for First Things, your gift of $100 unlocks $200, and so on, up to a total of $120,000. But if you don’t give, nothing.

So what will it be, dear reader: double, or nothing?

Make your year-end gift go twice as far for First Things by giving now.
GIVE NOW