Everyone wants to be noticed
Lately, I’ve been enjoying The Founders’ Bible, published by historian, David Barton. It is not a different version of the Bible (it’s the New American Standard Version) but it contains many articles with stories from American history.
One story told about a man named Stephen Girard. Before his death in 1831, he drafted his will, in order to make sure that his $7 million property would be used as a “college” for children aged 6 to 18. He wanted the school to be named after him.
In his will, he stated his requirements: In this school, he stipulated that “no ecclesiastic, missionary, or minister of any sect (denomination) whatsoever, shall ever hold or exercise any station or duty whatever… nor shall any such person ever be admitted for any purpose, or as a visitor within the premises.”
When I read this, my first reaction was, “What a nasty person!” But my second reaction was, “What a sad person!” What must have happened in his life to make him so thoroughly angry at pastors, missionaries, and Christians?
This story reminds me of something that I’ve been told a few times over the years: Most of the world’s leaders (leaders of countries) have attended college or graduate school here in America. But during the years when they were here as students, very few of them received even one invitation from an American, inviting them into their home. They graduated and left America knowing little about Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or any of our other traditions in American culture.
At least one of the people who told me this also said that he thinks this may be one of the reasons why so many world leaders hate America. They were not included and had no chance to learn about our culture first-hand, in a loving American family.
Now I’m not saying that this is what happened to Stephen Girard, because I don’t know. Nor am I implying that Christians are to be blamed for how he turned out. However, it does make me wonder how often we miss opportunities to reach the world with the Gospel… right here in America?
To continue with the story about Stephen, his will was disputed, and a lawyer named Daniel Webster took the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. When Webster presented the case, he used Mark 10 from the Bible as his central argument concerning the school that would be founded on Stephen’s estate:
People were coming to Jesus, “And they were bringing children to Him… but the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Allow the children to come to Me; do not forbid them…” -Mark 10:13-14
In the end, in 1844, the U.S. Supreme Court stated that the founding of a school that preserves “the Bible and Christian principles” is an essential part of a “sound American education.”
In other words, permit the children to come to Jesus.
Also, do whatever you can to make sure that people here in America have the opportunity to learn about Jesus and give them an invitation to accept Him into their hearts!