I wonder how many of us, over the course of our busy lives, have given any great deal of thought to the question, What is the object of life? If we believe the object of life is to have comfort, pleasure, and prosperity, then we will see this current economic crisis as nothing more than a calamity. We will be fearful, bitter, and angry.

But if the object of life is indeed, as Solzhenitsyn suggests, the maturing of the soul—the transformation of our character through knowing and glorifying God—we will learn to see hardship, just as Solzhenitsyn did, as a true blessing in the development of our lives and our relationships with others.