He was America’s first superhero. He predated Spider-Man, Captain America, Ironman, Thor, and every other Marvel comic character. He came before Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Lantern, and all of the DC comic heroes you can name. He did not wear a symbol or letter on his chest. He lacked any superpowers gained from an insect bite, chemical spill, or mutant gene. He wasn’t from an alien planet. He didn’t have any cool tools of the trade like the batarang, bat-laser, bat-shield, or bat-scope. He didn’t get around town in a batmobile, bat-plane, bat-boat, bat-cycle, bat-copter, or have an underground cave where he parked all these amazing bat-vehicles. And he didn’t have a really awesome utility belt that held, among other things, universal bat-pills, designed to cure everything.
No, George Washington did not have any special equipment. However, what he lacked in that department, he more than made up for in courage.
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death….” On July 9, 1755, George Washington was serving as an aide-de-camp to General Braddock of the British Army, as they were attempting to clear out the French army in the region. The target this day was Fort Duquesne, a French stronghold that lay between the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers. The French, accompanied by Canadians and Native Americans, waited patiently until the British army came within 10 miles, then attacked full force. For three hours the French poured every effort into defeating the invaders. It was an exceedingly intense battle…but it was largely one-sided. The British were surprised and suffered nearly 1,000 soldiers, including General Braddock. Washington, for his part, had two horses shot out from under him. With Braddock mortally wounded, leadership of the British army was handed to Washington, who had no choice but to order a retreat. His calm resolve helped save many British troops from certain death. After the battle, Washington noticed that his overcoat had four bullet holes in it. In the valley of death, his life had been spared. Was it luck? Or divine protection. Washington believed the latter.
Three years later, Washington returned to the valley of death, this time with General John Forbes, to once again attempt to drive the French from the region. It takes great courage to return to the scene of what should have been your death. But there Washington was, right in the middle of the fray, and on one particular night, British soldiers mistook another British unit for the French army and began firing into their ranks. Washington recognized what was happening and rose along one of the lines hitting their muskets with his sword, yelling for the firing to stop. Once again, Washington risked everything in the height of battle. And once again, Washington avoided certain death.
Nelson Mandela reminded us, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it”. This helps when we walk through those moments where it seems natural to be afraid. But we don’t have to remain there…we can dig deep and let courage break the surface and take over our thoughts and actions. Only then can we honestly agree with David and say, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”
The second part of that verse goes like this: “For you are with me; your rod and staff they comfort me.” This is the reassurance that, just as sheep experience protection by way of the shepherd and his rod and staff, God protects his followers from harm from outside and from within. Even when we, like sheep, don’t realize we are on danger, God steps in and saves the day…making the bullets of life, that mean to take us out, miss. Then, when we take the time to focus on the valley we just traversed, we are astonished to see the holes in our overcoat.
Faith, Leadership, and History 