The day after Great
Britain declared war on Germany in 1939, the British government established the
Ministry of Information. Its mission was to generate materials to sustain the
nation’s morale during World War II. One of the Ministry’s first projects was a
series of three posters. Each design was similar in style and appearance, all
featuring the king’s crown at the top followed by a forthright slogan in simple
font.
The first sign bore this
motto: YOUR COURAGE YOUR CHEERFULNESS YOUR RESOLUTION WILL BRING US VICTORY.
Nearly 1 million of these signs—white letters on a blue background—were printed
across the land. The second sign featured a green background with white letters
proclaiming: FREEDOM IS IN PERIL DEFEND IT WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT. About half a
million of these were printed and tacked up in bus stops, train stations, shop
windows and billboards.
The MOI then designed a
third poster and printed millions of them, but these were warehoused and
intended for distribution only if the war fell into dire circumstances. In
other words, this poster was only to be used in the case of a German invasion
of British soil. The sign featured a stark white font against a red background
and carried the message: KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON.
Britain was spared
invasion and the order was given to destroy these signs. It is believed that
most of the KEEP CALM posters were reduced to a pulp at the end of the war in
1945. But, a few years ago, Stuart and Mary Manley—bookstore owners in England—bought
a box of old materials at an auction. As the Manley’s sorted through the
purchase, they pulled out a striking red cardboard poster with the KEEP CALM
slogan printed on it.
The Manley’s didn’t
recognize its significance, but they liked it so much they had it framed and
hung behind the cash register of their store. Customers were strangely moved by
the simple words and began asking for copies, so the Manley’s had replicas
made. The slogan began appearing on mugs, T-shirts, towels and many other
accessories.
As the motto spread across
the country, the story behind the poster came out and the KEEP CALM message
became a sensation. A simple sentence, crafted but unused by one generation
during a time of peril, seems almost prophetically intended for another
generation facing terrorism, economic crisis and natural calamities. The BBC
has speculated that the iconic KEEP CALM sign might be the greatest
motivational poster in history, for its stoic message is timeless.[1]
The KEEP CALM posters
remind me of God’s dramatic deliverance of the Israelite’s at the Red Sea. With
the Red Sea before them and Pharaoh’s army bearing down on them from behind,
Moses and company were trapped. They were in an impossible situation. That’s
when Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the
Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The
Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm” (EX. 14:13-14, NLT).
Do those words reverberate
with you right now? Our Enemy may invade our turf, we may have battles on every
side, we may live in turbulent times, but we can fix our faith on God. We
cannot solve every problem, cure every hurt, avoid every fear, but we can leave
room for God.
I don’t have the answers
to every dilemma, but I know the One who can make a way! If you’re in a
difficult place, perhaps you need to entrust the problem to the Lord and leave
it in His hands. He alone can storm the impregnable, devise the improbable and perform
the impossible. He alone can bring you to it, and bring you through it! -DM
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