Change The Course Of History, Hold Your Fire!
The tremendous emotion of the great revolutionary era had influenced the character of the people of that day in a strange way. Men and women who had lived through twenty years of anxiety and fear were no longer quite normal. They jumped whenever the door-bell rang. It might means the news of the "death on the field of honour" of an only son. The phrases about "brotherly love" and "liberty" of the Revolution were hollow words in the ears of sorely stricken peasants. They clung to anything that might give them a new hold on the terrible problems of life. In their grief and misery they were easily imposed upon by a large number of impostors who posed as prophets and preached a strange new doctrine which they dug out of the more obscure passages of the Book of Revelation.
That paragraph out of Hendrik Willem van Loon's The Story of Mankind comes from the chapter titled "The Holy Alliance" dealing with the fallout in Europe after the fall of Napoleon two centuries ago, and it's been sticking in my head for days now. Because it seems we're living it now, or will be living it over the next few years. With people all around me preaching the end of the world is coming -- and if you don't think at least a radical alteration of how we live in the world is coming, then I fear you're not paying attention -- it's hard, at least for me, to not see this as a reiteration of what we've always heard. And in my faith as a child of God, as a disciple of Jesus the Christ as the Son of God Whom I trust for my eternal salvation ... trust, I want to trust, I need to trust, especially now.
Where was I?
Australia.
So I got the kids last night after I got off work -- and I got off work later than usual because I lost count of the money I was supposed to have twice but on the third time FOUND IT, GLORY TO GOD! Seriously, it's irritating to miscount especially when I like to think I'm accurate. I'm impressed that Sarah and Jeffrey are especially good with math at their ages, for many of their older kin ... took longer to get as interested as they are! At least, that's what I am told. Having either of our children ask me to add or multiply two and three digit numbers without the calculator (really, that is a lost skill) is kind of flattering. And they're starting to get good at it themselves and are already getting into back-to-school mode. You ought to see Jeffrey's "desk" in his room!
Patrick Ferguson could have changed history. This Scotsman enlisted in the British army in the late 18th century and became a specialist in firearms, developing a lighter and further-shooting firearm that at a royal demonstration led to his training a corps of sharpshooters in Pennsylvania when it was still a British colony. On September 7, 1776, Ferguson and three of his sharpshooters had gotten ahead of General Howe's army and sough cover when they spotted two approaching rebels, one of them wearing "a remarkable cocked hat". It was a symbol of rank -- true, a crude one -- but George Washington did not have a lot to work with when he became commander of the Continental army. And that's who was about to pass Ferguson and his soldiers by.
Patrick Ferguson could have shot, and most likely killed, George Washington.
But he didn't. Ferguson signaled them to fire, and then he changed his mind. We're not told why, but one of the many stories I knew ... at least snippets of regarding the American Revolution are recounted on one page each in Webb Garrison's 1974 book Sidelights of the American Revolution (ISBN 0687384391) gets treatment and makes sense. And those who know me know I'm a bit of a history geek, so John Adams defending the British soldiers who shot out at the Boston Massacre, patriots melting a New York statue of King George III into bullets, and Continental drillmaster Friedrich von Steuben having NO credentials for the job (that one surprised me! apparently Ben Franklin airbrushed them) he took made me laugh and think and keeps me going.
And Sarah and Jeffrey actually enjoyed the dinner I made them last night. Actually, what I did was warm up the lasagna Hamburger Helper I'd made that morning, figuring they and I would not want to wait too long to eat at night! And we didn't ... my big flaw is I often cook the hamburger to a crisp, and the kids can't stand the texture. But I got their two thumbs up, and then the kids and I were watching Breadwinners, a Nickelodeon cartoon about two ducks delivering bread around their planet Pondgea (it makes sense if you get through an episode, trust me). Then Sarah was watching Ellen on her tablet and Jeffrey and I watched older Pink Panther cartoons before Martha got home. Then THEY watch Big Brother ... how does CBS pick the most obnoxious people for that show?
And furthermore, why do we enjoy watching?
I say tongue-in-cheek, David
That paragraph out of Hendrik Willem van Loon's The Story of Mankind comes from the chapter titled "The Holy Alliance" dealing with the fallout in Europe after the fall of Napoleon two centuries ago, and it's been sticking in my head for days now. Because it seems we're living it now, or will be living it over the next few years. With people all around me preaching the end of the world is coming -- and if you don't think at least a radical alteration of how we live in the world is coming, then I fear you're not paying attention -- it's hard, at least for me, to not see this as a reiteration of what we've always heard. And in my faith as a child of God, as a disciple of Jesus the Christ as the Son of God Whom I trust for my eternal salvation ... trust, I want to trust, I need to trust, especially now.
Where was I?
Australia.
So I got the kids last night after I got off work -- and I got off work later than usual because I lost count of the money I was supposed to have twice but on the third time FOUND IT, GLORY TO GOD! Seriously, it's irritating to miscount especially when I like to think I'm accurate. I'm impressed that Sarah and Jeffrey are especially good with math at their ages, for many of their older kin ... took longer to get as interested as they are! At least, that's what I am told. Having either of our children ask me to add or multiply two and three digit numbers without the calculator (really, that is a lost skill) is kind of flattering. And they're starting to get good at it themselves and are already getting into back-to-school mode. You ought to see Jeffrey's "desk" in his room!
Patrick Ferguson could have changed history. This Scotsman enlisted in the British army in the late 18th century and became a specialist in firearms, developing a lighter and further-shooting firearm that at a royal demonstration led to his training a corps of sharpshooters in Pennsylvania when it was still a British colony. On September 7, 1776, Ferguson and three of his sharpshooters had gotten ahead of General Howe's army and sough cover when they spotted two approaching rebels, one of them wearing "a remarkable cocked hat". It was a symbol of rank -- true, a crude one -- but George Washington did not have a lot to work with when he became commander of the Continental army. And that's who was about to pass Ferguson and his soldiers by.
Patrick Ferguson could have shot, and most likely killed, George Washington.
But he didn't. Ferguson signaled them to fire, and then he changed his mind. We're not told why, but one of the many stories I knew ... at least snippets of regarding the American Revolution are recounted on one page each in Webb Garrison's 1974 book Sidelights of the American Revolution (ISBN 0687384391) gets treatment and makes sense. And those who know me know I'm a bit of a history geek, so John Adams defending the British soldiers who shot out at the Boston Massacre, patriots melting a New York statue of King George III into bullets, and Continental drillmaster Friedrich von Steuben having NO credentials for the job (that one surprised me! apparently Ben Franklin airbrushed them) he took made me laugh and think and keeps me going.
And Sarah and Jeffrey actually enjoyed the dinner I made them last night. Actually, what I did was warm up the lasagna Hamburger Helper I'd made that morning, figuring they and I would not want to wait too long to eat at night! And we didn't ... my big flaw is I often cook the hamburger to a crisp, and the kids can't stand the texture. But I got their two thumbs up, and then the kids and I were watching Breadwinners, a Nickelodeon cartoon about two ducks delivering bread around their planet Pondgea (it makes sense if you get through an episode, trust me). Then Sarah was watching Ellen on her tablet and Jeffrey and I watched older Pink Panther cartoons before Martha got home. Then THEY watch Big Brother ... how does CBS pick the most obnoxious people for that show?
And furthermore, why do we enjoy watching?
I say tongue-in-cheek, David
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