George Washington

I’m audio recording a biography of George Washington that was written in 1895 for sale on our web site.  This may seem extreme, but I’m dead serious when I say that tears came to my eyes as I read the first two pages.

I guess I’m jaded from living in a culture that devalues history and heroes.  But reading this great old book for young people hit me with a powerful reminder that we used to be different.

When this book was written, and even when I was a boy, Washington was held up as a bona fide hero.   We believed in heroes then, not “role models.”  For a man to be considered a hero, he had to have more qualifications than being good at sports or starring in stage productions or making lots of money.  He had to have an old-fashioned attribute known as character.

Today, the trend is to devalue and debunk people who demonstrate character, and especially historical characters once held in almost reverence.

One of the blessings of having real heroes in our lives is that they call us to our highest and best, rather than accommodating us at our lowest and least.  Washington was such a man, and for generations he was held up to boys and girls as a man worth emulating.  God help us, we’ve nearly forgotten him.

Presidents Day is a mockery.  It lumps giants like Washington in with midgets like Harding, Carter and Clinton.  We need to start celebrating Washington’s birthday again, in our homes if the public isn’t wise enough to acknowledge the occasion.  It would be a great idea to read from his Maxims or his Farewell Address, which used to be taught to school children as a model of wise and constitutional government.

Lord, we need heroes today.  Maybe if we rediscover the ones in our history we will inspire our children to greatness again.

~Rick  

To read more articles by Rick, visit his new blog!

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