As I was reading this morning again from the book I have come to love as it reaffirms things I hold dear, I read this thought provoking passage:
"The overwhelming burden on the shoulders of the American revoltionaries was not lost on the soldiers pinned down at Long Island. They knew what was at stake...'I cannot help hoping, even believing, that Providence has designed this continent for to be the asylum of liberty and true religion.'...'after the waters had receded from off the face of this land it became a choice land above all other lands, a chosen land of the Lord (Ether 13:2).
'But do we not find that both religion and liberty seem to be expiring and gasping for life in that other continent? --where, then, can they find a harbor or place of refuge but in this?'"
Another earlier quote comes from Thomas Paine's "Common Sense":
"A situation, similar to the present, hath not happened since the days of Noah until now."
I am so glad to have my attention focused on this, lest I forget what God can do to accomplish his work.
Instantly, I think of David and Goliath and how David was able to overcome what seemed impossible because he had Hod on his side. This seemed to work for waring nations, the victor proved to hold the hand of providence, but, does not every side believe they are on God's side or why bother surely it is God who wins, not might.
Now, cue an older film "The Mission" where European monarchs fear growing power of the missions and destroy them. The Jesuit preist protrayed by Jeremy Irons states, "If might is right then Love has no place in this world." right before he collapses to die...so what of Paul's teachings of Charity that were so profound? Surely, God was on this side, right?
Well, until this morning, such ideas had plagued me, until I realized winning a war does not mean fufilling God's will. Maybe it was a test to see if love was a thing to preach but not practice (the movie was not entirely fictional, btw). In this revolutionary war, I think God was likely found on both sides, like saying when it rains that the farmers prays must've been more righteous than the kids who wanted to play.
But, it was the purpose of God, undeniably, to have a land of Freedom and a topic of fascination to my son right now, independence. The Earth needed a place for a restoration of religion of Jesus Christ.
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