At their core, when things really matter, people see a need to turn to God for strength and protection.

The statement argues that moments of crisis or high stakes strip away distractions and reveal a basic human impulse toward faith. “When things really matter” suggests emergencies—fear, grief, danger, or national trauma—when personal resources feel insufficient and people seek an external, transcendent source of resilience. By pairing “strength” with “protection,” the quote frames God as both an inner support (endurance, courage) and an outer safeguard (deliverance from harm). In the context of Greenwood’s public persona and patriotic repertoire, the sentiment also resonates with civil religion: collective hardship can prompt communities to reaffirm shared spiritual language as a way to cope and unify.