At the Crossroad
Every once in a while I get really lucky with lunch. On some rare occasions my wife will be off work and she will sometimes meet me for lunch. It’s a pleasant change of pace and it seems to improve my spirits no matter how much of a beating I’ve taken that morning.
On one such occasion, my wife and I were at one of those buffet type restaurants. It was before a holiday and she had just gotten off work and was headed into a week and a half long break. Me? I still had a day to go before I would have a five day weekend for myself. She was really worn down and needed the break.
As we sat there I noticed a man over in the corner. He had his back toward us. He sat there alone. All the tables around him were empty, too. I kept looking his way and kept thinking, “I know that guy.”
He got up and went back to the buffet tables. It was then I realized who he was. I had been to his shop many times before. On this day, he seemed to be off in his own little world. I don’t think he even noticed me sitting there.
I got up from my seat and snuck up behind him. Using his radio jingle I asked him if he could help me with my plumbing problem. He looked at me in surprise and said, “I just tried to call you at the store the other day.” I’m not always in a store so I asked him, “Why didn’t you call my cell phone?” He responded, “I couldn’t find your card.”
This future President was born in a log cabin, just north of the Mason-Dixon Line. His father had emigrated from Ireland. His mother was the daughter of Scotch-Irish parents, but she was born not too far from her son would be born.
Like most immigrants, his father, James, was very hard working. James settled in a little town called Stony Batter in Cove Gap. This is where his son, our future President, would be born.
James opened a trading post-store in this little one horse town. It turned out to be quite profitable for him because it was on a main route for people trying to get from Baltimore to either Philadelphia or Pittsburgh. James eventually became one of the richest men in the area.
James would have at least six daughters and five sons. This son would be the second child born, but the child’s older sister died when she was just a baby. James put a lot of hope into this son. James’ wife, Elizabeth, believe God called her to a life of domestic chores. Even when James became wealthy, and suggested to Elizabeth that they could afford to hire help to do the domestic chores, Elizabeth refused because she truly believed it was the task God assigned to her.
James decided he wanted his sixteen year old son to go to Dickinson College. His son was none too happy with that choice. He thought that college was a joke. When his son got to college he became a real thorn in everyone’s side. Frankly, his son thought he was better than everyone else and that rules were for other people.
James’ son acquired the nickname “Young Buck.” At Dickinson, Young Buck would take up the habit that he would continue for the rest of his life: smoking cigars. But that wasn’t all that would dent Young Buck’s reputation. There would be tales of his drinking and running around with women.
Dickinson finally had enough and they kicked Young Buck out of their herd. James was furious with his son’s antics. He would scold his son and plea with Dickinson to give his son another chance. Dickinson would allow Young Buck to return and he even had the highest grades in his class. Despite his grades, the professors felt Young Buck did not treat them with the respect they deserved. They would not allow him to speak at the graduation.
Levi was a young Jewish boy. He knew his scriptures well. His father was Alphaeus and I’m sure he took great pride in his son’s knowledge of the scriptures. Other than that we know very little about Levi’s early life.
Alphaeus had to be a little sad for the life he saw ahead for his son. Alphaeus and his people had never tasted freedom. They were thought of as second class citizens. Still Alphaeus could find some happiness in his family and his faith.
But for all Alphaeus’ pride and hope for his son, young Levi would turn into a man that caused him much pain. One of the greatest pains of any parent is when one of their children take those core values they teach them and they just trample on them. Deep down the child must know how much it hurts the parent, but that strong desire to become their own persons sometimes involves removing such silly rules.
My plumbing friend explained to me that it had been a very rough financial year for him. Going into the year he had such high hopes. He was going to expand his business a little farther south. He hired some plumbers who he thought were really great guys. It seems they scammed him and he was left to clean up the debt they left behind.
The plumber then told me he parted ways with all but two of his employees, who were there the last time I was by his shop. I could really sense his hurt by the betrayal of those he trusted with his dream. The still somewhat wounded soldier was still convinced he had a great business model and he said he was determined to keep at it.
The plumber said he hired a couple more guys who he believed were real good plumbers. He also said he was going to keep a better eye on the day to day operations. It seems like every wound never really stops hurting.
Robert Coleman was another Irish immigrant. Like many immigrants, he would try anything. When he first came to America he started out as a clerk and a bookkeeper. He decided he wanted more so he acquired the lease on Salford Forge. The Revolutionary War came along and his timing couldn’t have been more perfect.
The Revolutionary War brought a high demand for cannon balls. Coleman would purchase another furnace company, then another, then another and before you knew it, he was the richest man in Pennsylvania and her first millionaire. Some even say he might have been the richest man in America.
Coleman would have ten children. One of his daughters, Anne Caroline, would fall for the rebel of Dickinson College. Her father had heard much about the tainted Young Buck and he was not very happy that his daughter was even associating with him.
Young Buck had become a very successful lawyer and was starting to get his name recognized in the political world. He was a Federalist much like Robert Coleman. Young Buck also realized the prestige that would come from marrying the daughter of one of the richest, if not the richest man in America.
When you live under a repressive regime you may be forced to do things that are not of your choosing. You hate yourself for the compromises you have to make. There is something you hate worse, though. You hate to see those close to you benefit and enjoy getting close to that evil regime. You feel like they betrayed you and all those around you.
When Levi decided to join the evil regime, I’m sure Alphaeus and all those close to Levi and his family were heartbroken. When Levi got rich and seemed to be having all the fun, I’m sure a lot of bitterness developed in those relationships. Nobody likes a traitor.
As I stood there listening to the troubles my plumber friend was having, I couldn’t help thinking back of the troubles I once had when I was in business. I really loved setting up a business and owning a business. Sitting where I am today, I also realize I had a very good business plan.
I admired him because he had one thing I lacked back then. He might have been very rattled by the unfortunate events that had come upon him; he may not have stood there as a model of confidence, but he had courage. Courage was a missing ingredient in my earlier attempts at business.
Sure, I had my biggest builder go bankrupt and leave me holding the bag for all the plumbing material for their jobs. Then my second biggest, and my only other large builder skipped town also holding me with a bag full of bills I had to pay. Then I also had my first child, a son, whom I would have to now figure out how I was going to support. I would also have to figure out how to pay all those other bills that were in my name. Yes, my life was changing, but not in the manner I was expecting.
Young Buck and Anne decided they were going to marry. For as much excitement the young couple had for their engagement, Anne’s father had some very serious doubts. More than likely, Robert thought, much like many in town, that Young Buck was just marrying his daughter for the money.
Young Buck was a workaholic. In a sense, he wanted to prove everyone wrong. He was a good lawyer and he was making it on his own. Anne was a little confused by his behavior. She believed he should be spending more time with her and not at work.
Young Buck had to make an extended out of town trip for some work he was doing. Instead of rushing home when he was done, he stopped by the Jenkins family to make a friendly visit. Mrs. Jenkins’ sister, Grace Hubley, also happened to be there. Anne had heard rumors that Young Buck seemed extremely fond of Grace. I’m sure her father also made the best of the opportunity and talked about how he knew that Young Buck was a real sleaze ball.
Anne promptly called off the engagement. Young Buck didn’t rush back to try to change her mind. Instead, Young Buck figured he would give her a few days to settle down and then he would catch up with her over the weekend and try to patch things up.
Anne’s mother knew she was very upset and she suggested that she take her younger sister, Sarah, and go visit and spend some time with their older sister, Margaret in Philadelphia. The very distraught Anne took her mother’s advice.
One night when Anne was in Philadelphia, she would die. The physician would say she died of “strong hysterical convulsions.” Most physicians would claim they had never heard of anyone ever dying of that. Most believe she was so upset that she committed suicide. Young Buck would ask her father, and be denied the opportunity to attend her funeral.
Having knowledge of plumbing products is not one of the things that has helped me the most with selling plumbing materials. I don’t even think my greatest asset is coming from the plumbing field or knowing how the plumbing products work. I’m not even sure if my top gift is being able to solve the problems that can happen “out in the field.” I believe my greatest asset is the pain I endured when my business failed. I wanted it to succeed more than anything and it just didn’t happen. I know what that drive for success feels like.
Many people question exactly what is was that caused Anne Coleman to possibly commit suicide. Was it the fact she thought Young Buck, or James Buchanan as we know him, was cheating on her?
Many have also questioned whether James Buchanan was gay or not. If he was, did he confide that to Anne Coleman? There is no recorded evidence to suggest he ever had another serious relationship with another woman after that encounter and he remained a bachelor for the rest of his life.
Buchanan did live with future Vice President William Rufus King in a Washington boardinghouse for ten years. Andrew Jackson would refer to the two of them as “Miss Nancy” and “Aunt Fancy.” Although it should be noted, at that time in our history, it was a common practice for men to board together or even sleep in the same bed without it being in a homosexual relationship. I guess it is just one of the mysteries that we may never know the whole truth about.
One of the most knowledgeable New Testament writers is Levi. His knowledge of Jewish history and Jewish law may be third only to Paul or Jesus in the New Testament. His attention to details shows he really knew his stuff and that he was probably a really good listener. With all that knowledge, it is very unlikely that Levi picked it all up when he was older. No, Levi probably learned most of it from his childhood.
When Levi decided to become a tax collector, I’m sure his father, his family and all his friends’ hearts sank. When he got rich and seemed to be having the time of his life at their expense, bitterness probably developed. When Jesus asked Levi, also known as Matthew, to become one of his disciples it signaled that God never gave up on him.
Throughout life we come to many crossroads. I was so depressed when I lost my business. It was hard to see any positives. When James Buchanan was accused of money grabbing and being opportunistic, it had to hurt him very much and I’m sure it changed his attitude about life. When Matthew gave up on his religion and became a tax collector, it would have been easy for his family to lose hope in him.
When you get to those crossroads you have choices in which way to turn. Personally, from my business failure, I learned how to have compassion. I would not have been able to feel my plumber friend’s pain without experiencing it myself. It was not part of my life before. Buchanan made choices as to how he viewed relationships after his encounter with Anne Coleman. Many historians are still guessing about that one. Matthew, when given another chance, chose to follow Jesus’ direction when he came to the crossroad Jesus was directing.
Prayer: Dear Mighty Father, We all come to crossroads in our lives. Sometimes we make good choices about our direction, and sometimes we make bad choices. Thanks for never giving up on me no matter which direction I have taken. Thanks for also giving me opportunities, even when I’ve taken the wrong road, to get on the path You want my life to be on. Amen.
