The world marks Jesus’s birthday
as 25 DEC 0000. The United States Army
marks its birthday as 14 June 1775. The
first birth opened the door to eternity in paradise with God; the latter gave birth
to a nation. Both of these events were
not without significant sacrifice. The
commander-in-chief of our fledgling Army was confronting an abusive king; the
baby born in the town of Bethlehem was a King.
Shortly after His birth in
Bethlehem, the Baby’s parents fled with Him to Egypt to avoid the brutality of
King Herod. Shortly after the birth of
our Army, it was in the field to face the brutal British forces at the battle
of Long Island. In August of 1776, in preparation for that New York battle, the
Father of our Nation addressed the American forces on the gravity and greatness
of their cause:
“The time is now near at hand which
must probably determine whether Americans are to be freemen or slaves; whether
they are to have any property they can call their own; whether their houses and
farms are to be pillaged and destroyed, and themselves consigned to a state of
wretchedness from which no human effort will deliver them. The fate of unborn
millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct of this army.
Our cruel and unrelenting enemy leaves us only the choice of brave resistance,
or the most abject submission. We have therefore to resolve to conquer or die.”
Within two years of our
declaration of independence from that oppressive British king, our nation’s Army
was in desperate straits. Freezing to
death at Valley Forge, they were desperately declaring their utter dependence
on the benevolence of that manger-born King of kings. In the bitter winter of 1777, General George
Washington was distressed by the overwhelming military supremacy of British
forces and the utter lack of supplies for his troops encamped at Valley Forge. American soldiers died at the rate of twelve
per day, with many not even having blankets or shoes. The desperate state is
documented in a letter from Washington to John Banister:
“No history, now extant, can furnish
an instance of an Army's suffering such uncommon hardships as ours has done and
bearing them with the same patience and fortitude. To see men without clothes to cover their
nakedness, without blankets to lay on, without shoes, by which their marches
might be traced by the blood from their feet, and almost as often without
provisions as with; marching through frost and snow, and at Christmas taking up
their winter quarters within a day's march of the enemy, without a house or hut
to cover them till they could be built and submitting without a murmur, is a
mark of patience and obedience which in my opinion can scarce be paralleled.”
The violence and suffering our
founders and fighters endured in the war for independence can’t be
exaggerated. The joy expressed by
Washington at its end can’t be overstated.
On Friday, April 18, 1783, General Washington issued the following order:
“The Commander in Chief orders the Cessation
of Hostilities between the United States of America and the King of Great
Britain to be publicly proclaimed tomorrow at 12 o'clock at the New building;
and that the proclamation, which will be communicated herewith, be read
tomorrow evening at the head of every regiment and corps of the army. After
which the Chaplains with the several Brigades will render thanks to Almighty
God for all his mercies, particularly for His overruling the wrath of man to
His own glory, and causing the rage of war to cease amongst the nations.”
While one birth bought us freedom from tyranny for
the past two-hundred and thirty-nine years, the other bought freedom from the
wages of sin for all of eternity. For unto us a child is born,
unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his
name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting
Father, The Prince of Peace. Of
the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end. The birth of a nation – propitious, the
birth of a Savior – priceless.
Latest Column (17 DEC 2014) in the Upson Beacon. Birth of a nation and the birth of a King.
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