Abraham Lincoln & “Stonewall” Jackson
History is filled with amazing characters –– heroes who gave their lives and displayed great feats of courage. Some of these your children may be learning about in school.
With the renewed interest in the Civil War, sparked by the release of the film Gods and Generals, this may be a good time to introduce your kids again to Abraham Lincoln and Stonewall Jackson. These two men, on opposing sides of the conflict, both showed courage in the face of peril.
As a nation we are indebted to Lincoln’s persistence in leading our nation down the path toward true equality for all. But even on the confederate side, men of God fought for what they thought was right. Thankfully the side of freedom and equality prevailed.
Though much of the story of the Civil War is sad and shows how the evil of racism divides a nation, the heroes who rose out of the conflict are worth observing and learning from.
See a review of Gods and Generals.
Eric Liddell
On April 6, 1923, in Armadale, Scotland, Eric Liddell spoke of his faith in Christ. The story goes that 80 people came to hear Scotland’s famous runner give his testimony on that day.
Catherine Swift, author of the biography Eric Liddell, wrote,
Shyly, he stepped forward and for a few seconds surveyed his waiting audience, then he began. He spoke of the strength he felt from the knowledge of God's love and support. He never questioned anything that happened either to himself or to others. He didn't need explanations from God. He simply believed in Him and accepted whatever came.
As a runner, Liddell won the July 1923 AAA Championships in London for the 220-yard dash and the 100-yard dash. His time in the 100 stood as England's best for 35 years.
The most well-known story about Liddell is his performance at the Paris Olympics in the summer of 1924. Liddell waited for the posting of the Olympic heats for the 100 meters and the 4X100 and 4X400 relays, his best events. He was disappointed to learn that the preliminary dashes were scheduled for Sunday. He refused to run on a Sunday, a day set apart for the Lord, so he turned his attention to train for the 200-meter and 400-meter dashes.
He went on to win a gold medal and set a world record. More important, Eric Liddell showed he was willing to sacrifice success and fame in order to live by his convictions.
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George Washington Carver
Despite the barriers he faced as a negro, Carver became an agricultural chemist who found 300 uses for peanuts and hundreds more for soybeans, pecans and sweet potatoes. Even though only three patents were issued to him, he invented countless everyday products including mayonnaise, instant coffee, plastic, pavement, shaving cream and talcum powder.
Carver was part of the faculty of Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute for Negroes, where he remained until his death in 1943. Carver did not profit from most of his work, since he freely gave away his discoveries to humanity.
"God gave them to me," he said about his ideas. “How can I sell them to someone else?"
Carver’s epitaph reads: “He could have added fortune to fame, but caring for neither, he found happiness and honor in being helpful to the world.”
