At this crucial time in our lives, when everything is so

The words of Nina Simone, “At this crucial time in our lives, when everything is so desperate, when every day is a matter of survival, I don’t think you can help but be involved,” thunder like a song born of anguish and fire. Simone, who was not only a gifted musician but also a fearless voice in the struggle for justice, spoke these words during the civil rights era, when the very breath of Black America was pressed under the weight of oppression. Her statement is not mere observation, but a moral decree: when life itself hangs in the balance, silence is no longer an option, neutrality is no longer possible—involvement becomes the duty of every soul.

At its heart, this teaching is about the inevitability of engagement when confronted with injustice. There are times when the river of history runs quietly, and one may drift in its current without much thought. But when the waters rise in flood, when the storm threatens to sweep away entire peoples, then no one can claim the safety of the shore. Survival demands action. Simone understood this truth deeply, for her music became not only a gift of art but also a weapon of resistance, an anthem for those who could not find the words themselves.

The origin of this statement lies in the tumult of the 1960s, when African Americans faced the fierce realities of segregation, racial violence, and systemic discrimination. Simone, outraged by the murders of Medgar Evers and the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham that killed four little girls, turned her music into protest. Songs like “Mississippi Goddam” became cries of defiance, her piano and her voice refusing to bow to fear. In such times of desperation, she believed that no artist, no citizen, could remain aloof. One either stood for justice or against it—there was no middle ground.

History offers many mirrors of this truth. Consider the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor who, during the Nazi reign, declared that silence in the face of evil was itself evil. At a time when many chose safety over involvement, Bonhoeffer joined the resistance, ultimately giving his life for the cause. Like Simone, he recognized that there are seasons when the cost of disengagement is greater than the cost of action. In moments of desperation, to remain uninvolved is itself a betrayal.

The deeper wisdom of Simone’s words is that desperation awakens responsibility. In times of ease, people often turn inward, thinking of personal comfort, career, or leisure. But when every day becomes a struggle for survival, the soul is called outward—to community, to solidarity, to the shared struggle of humanity. Simone teaches us that such involvement is not only moral but inevitable; for when your brother suffers, when your sister bleeds, you cannot claim innocence by standing aside. To be human is to be bound to the fates of others.

To the seekers of wisdom, let this truth be written upon your hearts: do not wait for desperate times to awaken your sense of duty. Live as though every moment were a crucial time, for in truth, the cries of the oppressed are always present, even if distant from your door. If you feel the tug of injustice, do not turn away—be involved. Your silence does not absolve you; it only strengthens the hand of the oppressor.

The practical lesson is this: wherever you stand, seek out the struggles of your time, and lend your voice, your hands, your strength. If you are an artist, let your art speak. If you are a teacher, let your words enlighten. If you are a worker, let your labor uphold the dignity of your fellows. Do not think involvement belongs only to the powerful—it belongs to all who have a conscience.

Thus, let Nina Simone’s words echo like a timeless commandment: in times of desperation, involvement is not a choice, but a necessity. To live only for oneself in such seasons is to deny one’s humanity. To stand with others, to fight for survival, to speak truth even in trembling—that is the legacy of the just, and the path that lights the way for generations to come.