I live in Massachusetts, the land of the patriots. No, I’m not talking about those guys who didn’t get to the Super Bowl this year. I mean the real patriots who defied King George and his Redcoats. One cannot spend much time anywhere near Boston without coming across some monument describing some heroic act. No matter where one lives in America you will have heard of Sam Adams and John Hancock. But what about Elisha Brown?
It seems the British had a nasty habit of quartering their troops with the local populace. Without any choice people had to feed and house and often give up their beds to the Redcoats, who were very tough guys. When you realize they marched in full gear from Boston to Concord (roughly 40 miles round trip) and back again, you have to admire their strength. Well back to Elisha Brown. He was not about to quarter a Redcoat. So he bought a year’s worth of groceries and water and locked his windows and barred his door. He settled in for a siege. After about two weeks the Redcoats decided he was a crazy old coot, went away and left him alone. Hooray for Elisha.
Was it courage or stubbornness? I have often wondered how many people really do stand for truth, for love of God, for principle or are they just the kind of people who resist having anyone tell them what they can and cannot do. Does it make a difference? Absolutely yes, it does. Never forget I Corinthians 13 where Paul says though I give my body to be burned if I do not do it for love it is worth nothing. Scary.
Written by Roger Bothwell on February 11, 2010
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org