The Shot Heard ‘Round the World

In the chronicles of American history, April 19 stands out as a significant day even though many Americans probably do not give it a second thought.  Today, April 19, 2023 is the 248^th Anniversary of “the shot heard ‘round the world”.  In 1775, this day turned the lives of the American colonists upside down and, in fact, changed the course of history for the whole world.

On that chilly 1775 April morning, as the mist was still lifting off the fields surrounding Lexington, Massachusetts, a small group of around 80 American patriots gathered on the Lexington green and stood face to face with nearly 700 of England’s finest armed to the teeth.  Tensions that morning were very high due to tyrant King George III pushing the colonists into a corner through unlawful and corrupt governmental actions such as the Stamps Act of 1765, the occupation of Boston in 1768, the Boston Massacre of 1770 and the Tea Act of 1773.  The final straw broke in 1774 as a result of the Massachusetts Government Act when the British Parliament transferred powers held by the Massachusetts colonial government to General Thomas Gage, the Royal Governor selected personally by the King.  Gage immediately began confiscating guns, gunpowder, and other military supplies from the local militia out of fear the King’s actions would result in violence.  Rather than helping to defuse and control the population’s unrest, those infuriating actions simply enflamed passions against England to a higher degree.    

By April of 1775, the provincials were hiding guns and ammunition at various locations including Concord and Worchester, MA.  On the 18^th of April in his quest to confiscate guns and ammunitions, Gage dispatched troops, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith, to seize the American munitions at Concord.  This campaign required the British to march through Lexington.  Knowing this was the direction the British intended, Captain John Parker gathered his militia to show a force of resistance to the British. Parker did not expect a battle and yet, he was not ready to back down in the face of overwhelming odds.  After all, at that time in history he knew he was facing the only superpower of the world, who had just conquered France, with a band of farmers and local residents who passionately wanted to protect their homes and families from British oppression. Through the morning mist, Lieutenant Colonel Smith yelled, “Disperse, ye rebels, lay down your arms”, in an attempt to scare the rag-tag assemblage standing across the green from his British Red Coats.  In response, Parker, walking up and down his single line of soldiers, said, “Don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have war, let it begin here!”

Then it happened.  The “shot heard ‘round the world,” as Ralph Waldo Emerson christened it 63 years later, rang out.  The affair escalated so rapidly, that many of the colonists did not even fire their weapons.  Under the heavy barrage from the British, most of those in the militia scattered.  After the smoke cleared, eight militiamen lay dead on the Lexington green. Once the British collected themselves, they marched forward toward Concord only to engage the colonists again at North Bridge outside Concord where the British suffered heavy losses and turned back to Boston in a bloody retreat.

Since April 19, 1775, the world has not been the same.  Things changed dramatically for those living at that time and we are still living in a free country because of their grit and determination to defend their homes and families that morning on the Lexington Green.  Our Forefathers lived in uncertain times for sure and did not see victory until the signing of the Treaty of Paris eight years later in 1783 after the British surrendered.  Even though they faced insurmountable odds and truly had no claim to a standing army, they defeated the British Empire and won independence.  However, these men and women who created the most powerful and most prosperous nation on the face of the earth knew they did not accomplish this victory alone.  They believed the providence of God directed every step they took.  If one reads true accounts of our Forefathers lives and the Revolutionary War, it becomes evident they trusted God and that God did direct events to make this unfathomable victory possible.  They suffered and they lost loved ones.  Some lost their homes, businesses, and fortunes along the way; however, they never gave up.  We would not be free Americans today if they had.   

We live in uncertain times as well.  Every day it seems we hear or witness some new moral low or some event that defies common sense.  There is war in Ukraine.  China and Russia seem to be gaining power and influence in the world threatening America’s very existence.  There are financial and banking concerns.  Crime and governmental corruption are hitting unprecedented levels.  Transgenderism is tearing apart the moral fabric of American life.  Sex is a god and sacrificing children for convenience appears to be a new civil right.  Honestly, facing 700 Red Coats with muskets seems like a better option than what we experience today.   Where does it end? 

It all ends with Jesus. Actually, it starts and ends with Jesus. Our nation, established on the principles found in God’s Word and by His providence, left God behind in pursuit of other gods.  It is impossible for Americans to remain in our current spiritual situation and expect our country to stay standing.  America will fail if Americans do not repent and turn back to the One who allowed us to become a nation in the beginning.  Believers must live as salt and light in front of the world today seeking to influence lives and culture for Christ.  We cannot give up in the midst of uncertain times.  We may not see results of our efforts for years, but any delay never gives us the right to give up.

Consider for a moment the impact of April 19, 1775 on your life.  Then consider how you will respond to the uncertain times in which we now live.  The same God who supported those 80 men on the Lexington Green is still on His throne.  He stood with them and He stands with us too.  Duty is ours, results are God’s¹.     

¹ http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/34556.html