Today is a holiday, Presidents Day, and it’s one of the days designated in the Prince of Peace Staff Manual as a day on which our staff are to be free from their responsibilities (it’s a good thing I wrote this devotion last Friday, as I too am taking today off). The origins of this holiday are tied to the original celebration of George Washington’s birthday, February 22, 1732. An act of Congress established the federal holiday in 1879 and it was linked with a celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, February 12, by many states including Minnesota. In 1971, Congress changed the date of celebration to the third Monday of February but continues to recognize it as Washington’s Birthday, even though it can now never fall on his actual birthday.
A tradition since 1862 to commemorate this day, a sitting U.S. Senator reads aloud Washington’s Farewell Address from the Senate floor. With the help of Alexander Hamilton, Washington penned this address to his “friends and fellow citizens” as a valedictory offering advice for the future of this new nation. As our devotional today, I offer the following oft-referenced passage from Washington’s address that describes the role of religion in the civic experiment that is the United States of America:
“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity.
Let it simply be asked: Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.” Find the full address here.
Washington’s legacy is not without imperfection and his practice and views on slavery remain witness to the troubled past we inherit. But Washington was also formed in a particular time and did remarkable things in his calling to serve his neighbor. May the happiness that flows from such a vision of faith described above be incorporated into our civic duty and be made known to us all this day and in the days ahead.
May God’s hope embrace you today. -Pastor Peter
Let us pray… God of mercy, you have worked in and through the leaders of your people throughout all of history. As we remember and honor the legacy of this nation’s first leader, inspire all those who follow to cling to a comparable vision for a just and principled society, where all might thrive. Amen.
In his musical “Hamilton,” Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote a song based on Washington’s address, incorporating portions of it into the lyrics. Enjoy “One Last Time…”