Perhaps at one time or another you have seen the cover of Action Comics #1. Though it’s ok if you haven’t. You might not be a comic book fan. But, if you were a fan and you could have only one comic, Action Comics #1 would probably be it (because an original copy sold for more than $3 million). On the cover, Superman is lifting a green car and smashing it against some rocks. Why? Maybe it was a runaway car and he was rescuing the guy crouching in fear behind it. Maybe it was used by bank robbers and Superman was stopping them cold in their tracks. Or maybe he harbored bad feelings for that make and model. Actually, if you owned the comic and opened the pages you would discover that in this scene, Superman is rescuing Lois Lane from a kidnapper who happened to be driving the green car. In this comic and in subsequent issues, Superman always saw something that had to be done (runaway car, bank robbers, people in distress), and he leapt into the fray. In other words he took action.
George Clymer took action too. I know what you are thinking…“oh, sure, ol’ George Clymer. He sure was a man of action.” Or maybe you are thinking, “Who in the world is George Clymer?” If you find yourself in this latter group, let me offer you a small glimpse into the life of this relatively unknown guy. George Clymer was born on March 16, 1739. When he was 36 years old, he was appointed as the Continental treasurer, responsible for tracking the funds for the American Revolution. But he was not just any old treasurer. He led the efforts on getting corn, flour, gunpowder, and other essential items into the hands of the Continental Army. But he didn’t stop there. He helped fund the war effort by exchanging his own gold and silver for Continental paper currency. This was an enormous gamble, for if the war for independence failed, Clymer would have lost it all. Of course we know how hard it was for George Washington’s army to get anything they needed, which makes Clymer’s story even more compelling.
George Clymer was not without his personal tragedies though. The story goes that when the British Army defeated the Continentals at a battle near Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, the British then went out of their way to ransack Clymer’s home in Chester County. As his wife and children hid in the woods and watched, the British Army destroyed all of his belongings before moving on. When the British invaded Philadelphia they targeted what they believed was another of Clymer’s homes. As they were tearing the house down, they found out that the home was actually owned by someone else. Clearly, the British hated this guy.
It was Benjamin Franklin who purportedly said as he was signing the Declaration of Independence, that they (the signers) “…must, indeed all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.” Well, George Clymer would have been one of those hanging next to Franklin. Clymer was a delegate from Pennsylvania who penned his signature to the document that would forever seal the fate of the colonies. Clymer also signed another of our nation’s most important documents – the Constitution. In fact, George Clymer was only one of six individuals to sign both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. He saw what was going on around him, perhaps runaway horse carriages, robbers, and people in distress. He certainly saw injustice at the hands of the British. He witnessed this and leapt into the fray. In other words, like Superman, he took action.
But that is where the comparison ends. As much as we might not want to believe it, Superman is not real. He faces imaginary villains, has imaginary powers, and the story almost always has a happy ending (kind of like every Hallmark Christmas movie ever made). George Clymer did not have that same kind of guarantee. Things could have turned south for him really quick. Fortunately, they did not. Clymer and the others took action and led the efforts of the colonies to unite against the British, risking everything in the process. That is what leaders do. They see something that needs to be done, and they do it. They see an injustice in the world, and they tackle it. They see those in need, and they help. They see a fledgling nation struggling to gain its footing, and they act on the desire to have a better outcome.
Nehemiah, too, was a man of action. With his city laying in ruins, Nehemiah asked the king for an extended leave of absence from his job as the cupbearer. This wasn’t going to be one of those “take some time over the weekend and report back to me Monday morning” gigs. HIs city was basically rubble. This was one of those projects that was going to take time to put back together. And Nehemiah was not one of those who could sit on the sidelines while the work was done. He saw people in distress, and he needed to help. He put on his architect’s hat and examined the destruction, envisioning a better tomorrow. He put on his city planner’s hat and organized the people into teams. He put on his soldier’s hat and prepared to lead the Israelites in defending the walls against its enemies. He put on his coach’s hat and encouraged his countrymen in recognizing their strengths and talents. In other words, he took action.
You don’t have to lift a car over your head, sign your life away, or put a city back together again to be a leader. Having all of that on your resume would be pretty sweet though. To be a leader, what you do need to do is equally important. When you see an injustice in the world, tackle it. When you see those in need, help them. When you see individuals in distress, that is your cue…take action.
Faith, Leadership, and History 