History Is His-Story

In early March of 1776, months before the Declaration of Independence and years before victory in the Revolutionary War was assured, the city of Boston had been under siege and occupation by the British. General George Washington and his army, under the cover of night, had over 2,000 soldiers stealthily take position with several cannons and arms to the high point of Dorchester Heights, overlooking the harbor and providing a strong position. In the early morning hours, the British army was stunned to see the Americans holding the high ground. British General William Howe felt he would need to lead an attack to retake the high ground and keep Boston under their control and planned to do so the next day.

But then, after what had been described as a mild day for March, suddenly a nor’easter winter storm rolled in, preventing Howe and his army from launching an attack and forcing them to withdraw and evacuate from Boston.

As a history lover, with America’s 250th anniversary upon us, I have been enjoying David McCullough’s book “1776,” and this story like so many other incidents during the revolution serves as a vivid example of the role that “providence” played in the American cause for independence. There are so many stories of seeming divine intervention throughout the course of the war helping to prevent the American cause from being destroyed, and for me, as a believer and a history lover, it’s a reminder that history is really God’s story.

In the winter of 1776-1777, during one of the lowest points of the revolution with the odds stacked against the colonists, as his army was freezing and starving, General Washington wrote to a friend: “If I shall be able to rise superior to these, and many other difficulties which might be enumerated, I shall most religiously believe that the finger of providence is in it.”

Often, founding fathers like Washington, Jefferson, Adams and Franklin are presented as secular-minded deists who believed in logic and rejected the notion that God supernaturally intervened in the affairs of men. Yet it was Benjamin Franklin who suggested that the Continental Congress open each session with prayer to ask for God’s aid for the cause. This is not to suggest that most or even a majority of the founding fathers were evangelical or orthodox Christians nor that they intended for America to be a theocracy, but there is no doubt that most of them did at least acknowledge and ask for God’s hand to intervene in the plight for the birth of our nation.

The biblical concept of God tells us that he did not merely create the universe out of nothing with its laws to be a passive observer, but rather that he is caring and involved in the affairs of mankind, working throughout the streamline of empires, nations, rulers and events to further his ultimate plan and purpose for history, namely the opportunity to be made right with God through placing our faith and trust in his son, Jesus Christ.

In the meantime, he is “working all things according to the counsel of his will” (Ephesians 1:11) and that should provide us with some comfort and hope even with the twists and turns of events in the world around us and in our lives every day. God is ultimately in control, even when life and the world at times seem out of control, and the Bible reveals the end of the story: Jesus wins and reigns, ushering in a world free from evil, sorrow and death.

As a Christian, I know that history is ultimately God’s story of the redemption of mankind and it centers around Jesus. But as a patriot who loves this country, where does America fit in with God’s grand plan? The United States of America was born 250 years ago, or as King Charles said to Congress, “just the other day,” because we are a relatively young country. America has a history that is filled with good, bad and very ugly elements and events, yet our country’s ideals were bled for and fought for.

The concept that all human beings are created equal, endowed by our creator with inalienable rights, and the experiment of government by the people for the people is worth persevering and it is truly unique. Often, we don’t know how good we have something, despite all its faults, imperfections and divisions, until and unless we lose it. My hope and prayer for my children is that we don’t lose this republic and what it stands for and that as Christians we do our part to be good citizens who live dignified and godly lives.

Sylvester Stallone of “Rocky” fame (“Yo, Adrian!”) was talking about some of these things in an interview a few years back, and he said, “I’d hate to see the world without the United States.” This July, as we celebrate what America stands for, and remember and reflect on its history, let’s also celebrate the role of God’s hand in bringing this country about. I love this great country, but I don’t worship America. I worship the God who reigns over America as he does over every nation and I take solace in knowing that come what may, history is still “his-story.” Happy 250th birthday, America.

“I have lived sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth - that God governs in the affairs of men.”- Benjamin Franklin

Stephen Mitchell is the senior pastor of Trinity Bible Church in Severna Park. He also is the host of a podcast, “Real Christian Talk with Pastor Steve,” available on all podcast platforms.