Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

“And afterward,
    I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
    your old men will dream dreams,
    your young men will see visions.

• Joel 2:28

Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.

• Matthew 5:9

“No one was more distressed by the enmity between Adams and Jefferson than their mutual friend Dr. Benjamin Rush, America’s forgotten Founding Father. On October 17, 1809, Rush described a vivid dream that came to him during the night. Writing to John Adams, he said he dreamed Jefferson and Adams would renew their friendship. Rush dreamed that Adams was going to write a letter congratulating Jefferson on his successful life and to extend good wishes for his welfare. He also dreamed that Jefferson, receiving the letter, would respond with affection and esteem. This, Rush dreamed, would lead to a resumption of their correspondence and friendship.
“Adams replied that he had no objection to Rush’s dream but considered it ‘history,’ not ‘prophecy:’ Rush then wrote to Jefferson, encouraging him to revive ‘a friendly and epistolary intercourse’ with Adams.
“For a while, nothing happened. But on December 5, 1811, Jefferson wrote to Rush about his continued warm and deep feelings for the memories of his friendship with Adams, and Rush immediately passed on the news to Adams, imploring the two men to ‘embrace each other’ and ‘bury in silence all the causes of your separation.’
“On January 1, 1812, Adams sent Jefferson a polite letter expressing New Year’s greetings, and Jefferson responded with a note fondly recalling their earlier labors for the cause of liberty. Soon Adams and Jefferson were writing to each other-they did so for the next fourteen years-and their letters were later published as ‘one of the most celebrated epistolary conversations in American history, one that continued until the last year of both men’s lives.’”

• Robert J. Morgan, 100 Bible Verses That Made America

In my recent trip to visit the grandchildren, the oldest of them went with me to Nashville, to sell used books and games.  One of the books that I purchased in return was 100 Bible Verses That Made America by Robert J. Morgan.  As we approach the 250^th anniversary of the birth of the USA, I thought I would do a condensed mini-series on some of these verses, four posts per week for a few weeks – maybe not all 100 verses.

I have joked about the verse in Joel 2.  The reason that there is a difference between the revelation of old men and young men is that the old man is probably taking a nap at the time.

Adams and Jefferson had drastically different views on how the federal government should operate.  Adams wanted a strong federal government.  Jefferson feared that a strong federal government would turn into another oppressive government.  For decades they refused to speak to one another, although in the days during which America fought for independence, they were close friends.

But I have heard a few sermons on Matthew 5:9.  Most of them focus on the difference in peace lovers and peacemakers.

Most people who angrily shout their views, much of it misinformed, do so with the full agreement of their conscience.  They love peace, but they disturb the peace to voice their opinion.

Benjamin Rush did not just have a dream, he wrote to both of the combatants and told them of his dream.  He planted a seed, and both men began to correspond, up to the time of their deaths, on the same day, 4 July 1826, the 50^th anniversary of independence.

And in their letters, they wrote a lot about God’s hand in all that had been done.  While John Adams has been portrayed in history as a strong Christian, Jefferson has been labeled as an outlier, a deist at best.  But in one letter, Jefferson wrote that he felt that their efforts in securing their independence could not have been done without the divine influence of Jesus Christ.

We have a divided country, but it is not divided by state lines as much as it is divided between cities and metropolitan areas versus more rural communities.  And it is divided by the tailored news feeds that the internet provides.  Then the television media presents a totally different story in the news than what is really happening.  All for what end?

And who has the power to have the varying sides come together to find common ground.  At present, it looks like there is no common ground.

Who will have the dream?  Will that person send letters to the puppet masters, who no one sees, to put an end to this madness?

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.