Paths

Dateline: 7 September, 1774.

Location: Carpenters’ Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Reverend Jacob Duché stands.  All eyes are on him.  What he is about to do has been a topic of discussion and debate for several days among those gathered.  We’ll get to that in a moment.  If you study early U.S. history enough, you begin to see common threads of faith interwoven through who we know refer to as our nation’s founding fathers.  There is some discussion that John Adams, his cousin Samuel, Patrick Henry, Roger Sherman, John Jay, George Washington, and others were not individuals who held particular faith beliefs.  But nothing could be further from the truth.  What the good reverend says sets the bedrock for the First Amendment.  No, these men certainly did not distance themselves from their faith.  They embraced it.

The good reverend begins, “O Lord our Heavenly Father, high and mighty King of kings, and Lord of lords, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers on earth and reignest with power supreme and uncontrolled over all the Kingdoms, Empires and Governments; look down in mercy, we beseech Thee, on these our American States, who have fled to Thee from the rod of the oppressor and thrown themselves on Thy gracious protection, desiring to be henceforth dependent only on Thee.”  This was only the beginning.  Duché continued with requests for harmony, peace, truth, justice, and blessings…and closing this first prayer of the First Continental Congress with this – “All this we ask in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son and our Savior.”  No, these men did not shy away from their faith as some might want us to believe.

I have already pointed out that Washington did not shy away from faith in God, but what exactly did he say about the subject?  On numerous occasions, Washington would write, “On my honor and the faith of a Chistian…”.  In another moment, “To the distinguished Character of Patriot, it should be our highest Glory to add the more distinguished Character of Christian”; and as on countless diary entries quoting from The Book of Common Prayer, such as this entry from April 3, 1768, “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us…”.  One more example – in one of his General Orders Washington writes, “The General hopes and trusts that every officer and man, will endeavor so to live, and act, as becomes a Christian Soldier defending the dearest Rights and Liberties of his country.”

So, that is what Washington said, but what did he do?  For starters, he insisted on conduct based on the scriptures.  He did not allow swearing or drunkenness, and when not on duty, soldiers were expected and required to attend church services.  To help facilitate this, Washington instituted chaplains in each regiment of the army.  Additionally, he called on his soldiers to observe a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer.  In other words, Washington was focused on this thing called righteousness.

David makes the declaration that God “leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”  What exactly does that mean?  At its foundation, those words picture an individual living a life centered on God and his principles, committed to his promises, and desiring to make known to others that message.  It is not enough to seek this path and be content that you are on it.  It is also dependent on showing others what it means to walk those paths of righteousness, for what other purpose did David record these words if not to tell others?  Solomon, David’s son, would later write, “A righteous man hates lying”; “Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless”; Righteousness leads to life”; the desire of the righteous is only good”.  These were all properties of a life of faith that Washington lived and wanted others to live as well.

Again, Washington understood the importance of faith in one’s life.  It powered his decision making and his leadership style.  He not only desired an army equipped with the necessary tools of war, as evidenced by his multiple letters to Congress asking for supplies, he also desired an army equipped with the tools necessary to walk the paths of righteousness.  In 1776, Washington reminded his soldiers , “to implore the Lord, and Giver of all victory, to pardon our manifold sins and wickedness’s, and that it would please him to bless the Continental Arms, with his divine favour and protection—All Officers, and Soldiers, are strictly enjoined to pay all due reverence, and attention on this day, to the sacred duties due to the Lord of hosts, for his mercies already received, and for those blessings, which our Holiness and Uprightness of life can alone encourage us to hope through his mercy to obtain.  

In other words…paths of righteousness.