I Remember
As you get older you sometimes find yourself reminiscing about your past. The other day I was trying to think of the earliest historical event I could remember. It was when I was ten years old, in 1969. For those of you trying to do the math, that would make me 34 years old today. Trust me, I’m good at math, or at least math the way I want to see it.
Back then, all my friends and I were very excited about the space program. I remember Tang came out with one of those promotions where you sent in labels and they would send you patches with the insignia of the different Apollo missions. I begged my Mom to buy Tang. We didn’t have much money, but my Mom must have splurged on that one because I remember getting an Apollo 11 patch. Our excitement grew until, finally, on July 16, 1969 Apollo 11 lifted off the pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. On board were Neil Armstrong, Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin, Jr., and Michael Collins.
Four days later, on July 20, 1969, the event of all events took place. We were glued to our seats in front of the black and white TV. Armstrong bounced down a small ladder attached to the lunar module. I remember he bounced down like one of those helium balloons you knock against the wall. His static filled words echoed, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Aldrin would also step on the moon while Collins flew above the surface waiting to reunite with his fellow astronauts. President Nixon would call Armstrong and Aldrin while they were on the moon.
Four days after the moon landing, July 24, 1969, they would splash down in the Pacific Ocean east of Wake Island and south of Johnston Atoll. Wow! What a memory!
According to the Constitution, Congress, not the President, is the only one who can declare a war. The President usually sends down a request, but it is Congress who must actually take the step to declare war. In our history we have only had five “declared” wars. Those wars were: the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II. Despite the fact that it is Congress’ job to declare war, we have sent our troops into battle many other times, too.
In 1821 Mexico won its independence from Spain. This new government in Mexico was having a very hard time in its northern territory. The main problem was different Indian tribes were warring against each other. Americans had a thirst for land, so Mexico invited immigrants from America to settle in the land between the tribes. Their hope was this would keep the different tribes separate. Soon there were more Americans in the territory than there were Spanish speaking people. Mexico then “closed” the border to any more immigrants. It didn’t work. Americans kept coming.
In 1834 Santa Anna took over Mexico. One of the first things he decided to do was to rid this northern territory of these pesky Americans. He marched his troops up to this little mission called the Alamo, where he completely wiped out the Americans. This didn’t make the Americans, who were still in the territory, any too happy. General Sam Houston eventually chased Santa Anna and his men back across the Rio Grande River and declared the land, he called Texas, as an independent nation. Texas eventually decided it wanted the United States to annex it so it could join our union. This not only upset Mexico, but also some in the United States as well. You see, there was the issue of slavery and most believe Texas would come in as a slave state. This would tilt the slave-state – free-state balance in the slave states’ direction. As a very vocal member of the House of Representatives, he didn’t want Texas to be annexed because he opposed slavery. He would vote against annexation.
Both the United States and Mexico were a little antsy about the United States’ annexing Texas. Before you knew it, the US and Mexico were on the verge of an all out war. President Polk sent down his request for a declaration of war. The House of Representatives voted on the declaration of war. Only fourteen Representatives voted against the measure. This very vocal opponent was one of them.
His name was Amram and from the Bible we know very little about him. One thing we do know is that he was from the tribe of Levi. Jacob’s twelve sons (who the Twelve Tribes were named for) are, in order of birth: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin. The first four sons were born to Leah, the wife Jacob married first. Simeon and Levi did not secure a blessing from Jacob because they took revenge for their sister’s rape and destroyed the city of Shechem. Jacob was very upset with them for how they handled that. This lack of a blessing probably was still being felt by Levi’s descendants when Amram was born.
Amram was married to his aunt, Jochebed, and they had at least three children. Amram lived to be 137 years old. When you slide through the pages of the Old Testament it is very easy to miss Amram. In fact, there is nothing special noted about anything Amram actually did, other than those facts mentioned above and him being part of Levi’s family tree. Yet he might be one of the most important overlooked people in the Bible.
I’m sure one of the hardest adjustments to being an ex-President is the day you have turn over the keys to the White House to someone else. It is probably really hard when you get whipped in the election by someone you really don’t like, too. So what do you do when you leave? You have reached the highest political office in the land, so any other political office would be a step down to your reputation, especially if that step was into the House of Representatives.
Our little rebel Representative did just that. Not only did he step into the House of Representatives, he made just about everyone in there, no matter what party they belonged to, mad at him. Voting against the Texas annexation and the Mexican-American War seemed to be bad enough. In 1846 he suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed, but in a few months he was back up and reporting for duty in the House. As he walked in, the House gave him a huge round of applause. I’m sure it was a sight worth remembering. You see, John Quincy Adams wasn’t afraid to stand up for what he believed in no matter how many people were in his corner and the House came to respect that. John Quincy Adams loved this country and he never thought any public service was beneath him, even the House of Representatives.
On February 21, 1848 Congress wanted to send a thank you to the generals who fought in the Mexican-American War. As they prepared to vote on it a single high-pitched voiced shouted, “No.” You guessed it; it was John Quincy Adam’s voice. It was the last word John Quincy Adams would ever speak in the House. When the next bill came up, Adams was third on the roll call vote. He tried to stand, but he collapsed into the arms of another Congressman. A sofa was carried into the chamber and they laid him on it. They then took him to the Speaker’s office where he would die two days later.
Amram, in the Bible, was Moses’ father. You have to look real hard to find it. He is mentioned namelessly in Exodus 2:1. By verse 3 of that same chapter Moses’ mother has got Moses in the floating basket to be discovered by Pharaoh’s daughter. Yet this father was probably there when Moses’ mother was allowed to care for him until Moses was weaned. He was also the father of Aaron and Miriam, Moses’ brother and sister. We may not remember Amram, but I bet Aaron and Miriam did.
I’m sure as John Quincy Adam’s casket was making its way out of DC, there was probably more than one Congressman who remembered something about this feisty old man and I’m sure it had something to do with the respect for his courage. I will probably forever remember those brave men who first traveled to the moon. I’m sure Aaron and Miriam, and possibly even Moses, remembered something from the lessons their father taught them even though he was a basic slave to the Egyptians. But what could be better than to be remembered by others for your display of Christ in your daily life?
Prayer: Dear Mighty Father, Thank you for those people of courage, especially those who have the courage to live their lives for You. Please let me take their example and live my life like they do. Amen.
