The Grudge

            George Washington was a great man, but he was not perfect. In 1798, he allowed himself to be swayed by Alexander Hamilton into taking command of the United States Armed Forces. (Washington was concerned about a potential French invasion.)

            John Adams was president, and you might imagine how difficult it was for him to give up his role as commander in chief. He resented the fact that members of his cabinet had been working behind the scenes against him, and that Washington allowed himself to be involved in the process. Because of this, historian Joseph Ellis wrote, “… Adams, who believed that holding grudges was a measure of personal integrity, never forgave him….”

            John Adams’ reason for maintaining a grudge is a common one. He (and those like him) mistakenly believed that holding a grudge is a  badge of honor. Sadly, this idea is mistaken. Holding a grudge is a sign of self-righteousness.

Don’t Ignore this Warning!

            Ignoring warnings can be dangerous. TODAY IN THE WORD wrote, several years ago, about a Hessian commander, who learned that lesson the hard way.

            During the Revolutionary War, a loyalist spy appeared at the headquarters of Hessian commander, Colonel Johann Rall, carrying an urgent message. General George Washington and his Continental army had secretly crossed the Delaware River that morning and were advancing on Trenton, New Jersey, where the Hessians were encamped.

            The spy was denied an audience with the commander and instead, wrote his message on a piece of paper. A porter took the note to the Hessian colonel, but because Rall was involved in a poker game, he stuffed the unread note into his pocket.

            When the guards at the Hessian camp began firing their muskets in a futile attempt to stop Washington’s army, Rall was still playing cards. Without time to organize, the Hessian army was captured. The battle occurred the day after Christmas, 1776, giving the colonists a late present—their first major victory of the war.

            The apostle Peter two thousand years ago sent us all a warning:

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings (I Pet. 5:8-9).

The Day The Mob Stormed The President's Home

In Isaiah chapter six, there is an incredible passage in which Isaiah is confronted by the Lord Jehovah:

"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted..." Surrounding God were angels calling to each other "'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.'" Then in verse four, "At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke."

"Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty."
Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin is atoned for."

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"

And I said, 'Here am I. Send me.

Without question, Isaiah viewed God with reverence in the temple that long-ago day. It's funny, but sometimes I think it is easier for us to hold more awe for other human beings than for God.

I understand that many early Americans, when they had the chance to physically look at George Washington, did so with wonder. Washington was a courageous man and a selfless leader. Historians consider him to be one of the truly great men of history, and for good reason. Rarely has history seen a man who had such influence among his contemporaries, yet who was so humble.

A few years ago, GM sponsored a mini-series on the life of George Washington. In that series, they showed an incredible scene based upon an incident recorded in the prize winning biography of Washington written by Thomas Flexner.

There was a period in our nation's history when our government became unstable. We were having problems with France and there were some Americans who didn't like that, so they began the American tradition of blaming the president.

One night, some radical Americans so fiercely disagreed with Washington that they formed a mob, containing roughly a hundred people, and began stalking towards Washington's presidential home. Now Washington's home wasn't like the White House today. There was no fence surrounding the property to keep people out. There wasn't even the secret service. So the riotous mob was able to walk directly to Washington's front door. Suddenly, the screaming herd of people began hurling rocks at the presidential home and demanding that the President remove himself from office.

Inside the home, terror reigned. Servants in panic scurried about the house not knowing what to do. A frightened Martha Washington sought her husband. The government was in danger as it's chief officer faced the threat of being coerced into resignation, kidnapped, or worst of all, murdered.

Inside the house, only one was calm. Sensing the danger of the situation, Washington did the unexpected. Quickly, but with great dignity, Washington opened the drapes directly in front of the mob—and stood before them. The way he looked at the people is almost indescribable on paper. Washington's face expressed so much. There was pity—for the people. There was disappointment—that so many people would do something they knew deep down wasn't right. There was determination—that the fiasco taking place would immediately cease. These messages along with greatness and dignity were all chiseled in Washington's face.

The impact on the people was monumental. Slowly, the people in the back of the mob lowered their heads in shame, released the rocks from their hands, and in silence walked away. Like a wave that engulfed the people from the back to the front, the rest of the riffraff did likewise, until the mob's ringleaders were alone. And they, too, dropped their heads and walked away in shame. The nation was saved. When the rebels came face-to-face with Washington, he exuded such greatness, that the people were filled with awe, and they would never be the same.

Oh, that we will look at God with an even greater sense of reverence and submission. Today, God confronts us with a more glorious countenance than a president could ever muster.

That's what the cross and the tomb are all about. We angrily stalk to the cross with our stones of sin, ready to rebel and live like we want. But it is at the cross that we see God's love and grace. And we are changed. With bowed heads we walk to the tomb—it is empty.

We see the majestic Christ of the book of Revelation—Lord of Lords, King of Kings, a light as brilliant as the sun, possessing a voice which sounds like a deafening roar. And, as Isaiah humbly stood before God, now we stand before the King. We are one step closer to being poor in spirit. May we go to the cross, and to the tomb, daily.

The Man Who Snubbed George Washington in Death

One of my favorite historians, Edward J. Larson, writes about George Washington's death in 1799. There was one prominent politician, who refused to attend Washington's funeral. He refused to attend any memorial service for Washington. He refused to send any note of condolence or issue any statement to the press expressing his respect for Washington. That man was the vice president of the United States. That man was Thomas Jefferson.

It was almost two years before Jefferson demonstrated any hint of respect. After winning the presidential election in 1800, he called upon Washington's widow. Jefferson had grown bitter in his opposition to Washington’s political views. Finally, only after winning his election to the presidency, he did the right thing.

I crack up today when I hear folks complaining about partisanship and hostility in politics. Truth be told, it is rare when there is a lack of partisanship in politics. Throughout our history, the political dialogue has typically lacked civility and been mean-spirited.

This is one reason why I think we, as Christians, must be very careful regarding politics. Our calling is much greater. 200 years have not made Thomas Jefferson’s snub look any better, even though he was a Deist. Imagine the poor reception we receive from the unchurched world, when we behave in a way inconsistent with our Christian ideals.