ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
July 1, 2026
In the movie, National Treasure, the main character, Ben Gates (played by Nicholas Cage) was speaking at a fundraising party about those who signed the Declaration of Independence. He said, “A toast! To high treason. That’s what these men were committing when they signed the Declaration. Had we lost the war, they would have been hanged, beheaded, drawn, and quartered…” When it comes to dates on the calendar when big historical events occurred, I’m always curious about what was occurring in the days before the big event. Many good histories and biographies provide us insight, but it would have been very interesting to have sat down one-on-one with some of the signers of the Declaration and tried to get a take on their emotional state. So much of what we have sounds as if it has been filtered through time and some bravado. On the other side of victory, emotions like fear are somewhat dampened. I’m not taking anything away from those involved in the Revolution. They were greater risk-takers than I would have ever been. Yet I appreciate the words of Stephen Hopkins, a delegate from Rhode Island whose hand was visibly shaking as he signed the document. He said, “My hand trembles, but my heart does not.”
I wish the Bible had more details leading to some of the big moments, but it has more than some might think. For instance, we have the two brothers, Jacob and Esau, who did not part on good terms. Jacob was deeply afraid of his brother as he had manipulated and cheated Esau out of his birthright and blessing. Jacob admitted he was afraid, and when he got close to meeting his brother, he sent his servants and some family members ahead of him with some gifts. It appears he hoped such gifts would appease his brother’s anger. Jacob stayed behind and prayed in a place that would become known as Peniel (Genesis 32-33). It was there that Jacob wrestled with God, and out of that experience came the name change, from Jacob to Israel. Even then, Jacob (Israel) was nervous approaching his brother. It turned out wonderfully well, but I like the very real and candid backstory. I sort of wonder how much healthier we would be as a nation and as a people in general if we were willing to give space to one another so that we could share our very real and candid backstories, and not just the end result. Most of us define ourselves, not by the finish line, but by the journey that got us there.
God of Mercy and Justice, Kindness and Hope, we acknowledge you through faith and seek to align our lives with you and your story. Whenever we oversimplify your story, making people one-dimensional and their struggles into straightforward problems to be solved in two effortless steps, we pray for a deeper look, even if it invites some imagination. Thank you for providing us opportunities to wrestle with faith, even if it requires us to wrestle with you. Amen.
