Jennifer L. Wright's Blog, page 5

Because He Lives…

Acts 4 is one of my favorite stories in the Bible.

It is also one of the most convicting.

The Book of Acts, as you might know, was written by Luke and gives an account of the early church. The events show the boldness of the apostles as they, buoyed by the Holy Spirit, fulfill the Great Commission spoken by Jesus in Acts 1 to go out and “be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

The story laid out in Acts 4 really begins in Acts 3. In it, we find Peter and John in Jerusalem encountering a man outside the temple gate. Acts 3:2 describes him as “a man who was lame from birth” who was carried to the gate each day “so that he could beg from those entering the temple.” Upon seeing Peter and John, he did what he usually did: he asked for money.

But Peter had something different in mind.

“But Peter said, ‘I don’t have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” (Acts 3:6)

“At once,” the Scripture says, “his feet and ankles became strong” (Acts 3:7), and he immediately went around, praising God. Peter, of course, uses this opportunity to preach the gospel, an act that doesn’t sit right with the temple priests. They seized Peter and John, took them into custody, and brought them before the Jewish leadership to answer for their “crimes.”

Keep in mind: Peter and John were now standing before the same men who they had seen, just months before, whip, torture, maim, and crucify Jesus. They understood very well that the same fate could easily be waiting for them.

But….

They had also seen that same Jesus rise again.

And, because of this, Peter, when asked by what power he had healed the man at the temple gate, was bold in declaring:

“Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4: 8b-12).

Talk about audacious! Peter not only called the rulers out for what they had done to Jesus, but he also did not shy away from telling the men exactly who Jesus is. Faced with the possibility of death the same Peter who had fearfully denied his Savior on the night of His crucifixion confidently stood before those same executioners and spoke Truth.

Scripture goes on to say that “when they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say…after further threats they let them go” (Acts 4: 13-14, 21a).

I absolutely love this. What redemption for Peter. Gone was the fearful, cowering, Jesus-denier. Instead, we see a bold, brave man unafraid of what lay ahead. He was determined to walk in obedience, whatever the consequence.

How was this possible?

I think a major clue lies in the prayer they and other believers lifted up upon their release.

“On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: ‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one.’ Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus” (Acts 4: 23-30, emphasis mine).

Did you catch that? The believers were looking back over the events of Jesus’s life and they realized something: everything that had happened to Him came about because it was “what [God’s] power and will had decided beforehand should happen.”

This was true of the good stuff.

And the bad.

A few months ago, as they watched Jesus die a painful death upon the cross, they believed God had failed. They believed it was the end. And yet now, looking back, they were able to see that the crucifixion had purpose. It had meaning. It was a horrible event designed and used for our good.

And, because of this, they trusted Him.

Completely.

Jesus’s resurrection is the ultimate “trust fall.” Because of it, they–and we–can know with 100% certainty that God is for us. That He loves us. And that we are not alone. We can know that God can take horrible, awful, unfair, and misunderstood moments and use them for good.

We can trust Him because He is trustworthy.

He proved it once and for all on the cross.

So what are we so afraid of? What is keeping us from living like Peter? From being bold in our faith, from speaking truth even when it’s scary, from obeying the Holy Spirit in all His promptings, no matter the cost? Pretty sure none of us, at least here in the US, are in danger of being crucified.

Is it because things might get uncomfortable? Is it because someone might get offended? Are we afraid we might lose friends, popularity, status, or our platform?

Friends, even if one or more of these things does happen, do we not trust that God can redeem it? If God can take the worst, most painful injustice that ever occurred and use it to save all of humanity, do you not think He can take our fleeting inconveniences and use them for good?

Let’s choose to trust God today. In the good, in the bad, in the ugly. When I acknowledge that all outcomes rest in His hands, it releases the anxiety I have when He calls me to obedience outside my comfort zone.

We do not have to fear.

We have the resurrected Jesus.

The Train Wreck That Caused a Copyright Lawsuit

On this day back in 1903, a Southern Railway mail train, officially known as the Fast Mail, was running late.

Also known by its train car number (97), the Fast Mail was already behind schedule when it left Washington, D.C., and was hour late when it arrived at its first scheduled stop in Monroe, Virginia. There, engineer Joseph Andrew (“Steve”) Broady was instructed to make up for lost time; he was to arrive at the next stop, Spencer, Virginia, on time, no matter what it took. The Fast Mail had a reputation for never being later, his bosses reminded him, and today would not be the day its good name would be besmirched. Besides, as part of Southern Railways’s contract with the U.S. Post Office, the company was penalized for each minute the train was late into Spencer.

The traveling time to Spencer, which was located approximately 166 miles away, was normally four hours, fifteen minutes to when the train maintained an average speed of approximately 39 mph. However, in order to make up the one hour delay, the train’s average speed would have to be at least 51 mph.

The trouble was that the route between the two towns was not meant to be traveled at that speed. The tracks traversed rolling terrain, and there were numerous danger points due to the combination of grades and tight radius curves. Signs were posted to warn engineers to watch their speed. However, in his quest to stay on time, Broady rapidly descended a heavy grade that ended at the 45-foot-high Stillhouse Trestle near Danville, a little over halfway through the journey. As he approached the curve leading to the trestle, the engineer was unable to slow enough to make the turn, and the entire train derailed, plunging into the ravine below. Of the 18 people onboard, 11 died, including Broady, either from the initial impact or the resulting fire that engulfed the cars. The other 7 were severely injured.

The Southern Railway Company placed the blame for the wreck solely on Broady. They denied ever telling him to increase speed to maintain the schedule.

Although tragic, the incidence may have faded into history along with the hundreds of other railway accidents of the era, were it not for a song whose history became almost as messy as the accident itself.

In 1924, a man by the name of Vernon Dalhart released a song about the incident called “Wreck of the Old 97.” The tune was wildly popular. Since then, the song has been recorded by numerous artists, including Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams III, and John Mellencamp.

The ballad was sung to the tune of “The Ship That Never Returned”, written by Henry Clay Work in 1865. Originally, the lyrics were attributed to Fred Jackson Lewey and co-author Charles Weston Noell. Lewey claimed to have written the song the day after the accident, in which his cousin was one of the two firemen killed. Lewey worked in a cotton mill that was at the base of the trestle, and also claimed to be on the scene of the accident pulling the victims from the wreckage.

However, in 1927, local resident David Graves George claimed he had written the song. George was a brakeman and telegraph operator who also claimed to be one of the first on the scene after the accident. After the 1924 recording was released, George filed a claim for ownership. On March 11, 1933, Judge John Boyd proclaimed that George was the author of the ballad. Victor Talking Machine Company, the company that had released the single, was forced to pay David $65,000 of the profits from about five million records sold. Victor appealed three times. The first two times, the courts ruled in favor of George. The third time the court of appeals ruled in favor of Victor Talking Machines. George appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States, but the court ruled that George had filed his appeal too late and dismissed it, thereby granting Victor ownership of the ballad.

Regardless of where it came from, the song remains a staple of the country music world. It is sometimes cited as the first million-selling country music release in the American record industry. You can listen to Johnny Cash’s version here.

New Book News!

Hey, friends! I just wanted to give you a quick update on my newest book, ‘Last Light Over Galveston.’ I just received the final cover design for it, and it is BEAUTIFUL! I cannot wait to share it with you all very, very soon! In addition to a cover reveal, it looks like preorders will be going live sometime next month so stay tuned for information on when and where you can reserve your copy!

In the meantime, here’s a little teaser summary to get you excited:

“Amid the 1900 Galveston hurricane, one woman’s perseverance is tested in this captivating story from the author whose work has been called ‘intelligent and arresting’ (Foreword Reviews) and ‘historical fiction as it is meant to be told’ (Library Journal).

I walked until I could go no farther, until open water was all I could see.

Galveston, Texas. September 1900. Only months ago, Katherine McDaniel returned from finishing school in Switzerland to her family home in New York’s Hudson Valley with a future of promise and privilege set before her. But one horrific event shattered her picturesque life. Now she has fled as far as the train line and a pocketful of money would take her, finding refuge at the St. Mary’s Orphan Asylum on Galveston Island, where she helps the nuns care for their young charges and prays her past will not find her. Despite her tenuous standing at the orphanage—and the grief and betrayal that drove her from home—Katherine slowly begins to make friends. There is Emily, the novice nun she rooms with; Maggie, the tempestuous young girl who only bonds with Katherine; and Matthew, a kind, handsome man recently employed by Isaac Cline at Galveston’s office of the US Weather Bureau.

Then in one fateful day, Katherine’s fragile new life begins to crack as it becomes clear that she can’t run far enough to escape the reach of her former life. Meanwhile, as troubling news about a storm crossing the Gulf from Cuba swirls in the Weather Bureau offices, Matthew holds fast to Cline’s belief that no hurricane can touch Galveston. But as darkness falls on the island, Katherine must gather her courage and reach for a strength beyond her own if she—and those she loves—are to survive.”

What do you think?! Are you as excited for this new book as I am?!

Is the Lord Really My Shepherd?

“The Lord is my shepherd,” Psalm 23 proclaims, “I have everything I need.”

Aside from John 3:16, this psalm may be one of the most famous passages of Scripture. It has been quoted in tv shows, poems, songs, books, and movies, to the part it has almost become a part of pop culture. Even most non-believers can quote a line or two.

But, as Christians, Psalm 23 should be more than just a collection of pretty sentiments or familiar refrain. It should be something that helps shape our worldview.

“The Lord is my shepherd/I have everything I need…”

We say it.

But do we believe it?

Psychologists have discovered that how we see the world is a major factor in who we become, and I truly believe our current culture is proof of this. Here in the United States, and in many other countries throughout the world, we are living in a post-Christian society where the dominant worldview is secular. In other words, most people today live as if there is no God.

And if how we see the world is who we become, then what is the effect of this kind of worldview on society at large?

Scientists have discovered the more secular a person becomes (the more deeply they believe and act as if there is no God), the more neurotic they become. There are higher rates of anxiety, depression, and burnout among people of a secular worldview than their religious counterparts. (Not saying that believers can’t experience these things, only that their diagnoses are lower on average than non-believers). Why? Because living as if there is no God makes YOU a god…and being a god is hard work.

On the other hand, we Christians not only have THE God, the One and Only, Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, but we have a Shepherd. A good Shepherd. A kind Shepherd. One who “leads [us] beside still waters…restores [our] souls…leads [us] in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

But, again, do we really believe this?

Even if you are a self-professing Christian, I believe it’s helpful to, every once and awhile, take a good hard look at your worldview and reassess.

Do I really believe God has given me all I need….or am I constantly nagged by greed and envy?

Do I really trust God to make me lie down in green pastures, beside still waters….or do I balk at His restrictions?

Do I really give Him the space to restore my soul, or am I too busy seeking and hustling for more, more, more?

How we see the world–and God–is who we become.

And I want to see God as my shepherd, the world as His pasture, and myself as His sheep, trusting Him in all things and for all things. I want Psalm 23 to be more than pretty, well-known words. I want it to be the call of my heart.

And I want that for you too.

Statistically Speaking…

I recently stumbled across the old, 1994 comedy “Dumb and Dumber” on Netflix. I’m sure you know it, probably even have seen it (even if you won’t admit it). By this point, the tale of two nimrods trekking across country to return what they assume is a woman’s left-behind briefcase is pretty much considered a comedy classic (at least by my generation). I hadn’t seen it in ages and, though I like to think my tastes have matured as I’ve grown older, I have to admit it still made me laugh.

Please don’t hate me.

Anyway, there’s an iconic scene in that movie where Lloyd, played by Jim Carrey, is driving Mary, played by Lauren Holly, to the airport. In the rearview mirror, he happens to notice Mary wrap her fingers nervously around her gloves and asks, “What’s the matter? Little tense about the flight?” to which she replies, “Something like that.”

“There’s really nothing to worry about, Mary,” he quips. “Statistically they say you’re more likely to get killed on the way to the airport. You know, like, in a head-on crash or flying off a cliff or getting trapped under a gas truck–that’s the worst.” He says all of this while turned around backward, running a red-light and narrowly avoiding a T-bone crash (though others around him don’t fare as well).

When Mary asks him if he can please keep his eyes on the road, he gives her a thumbs up and says, “Good thinking. You can’t be too careful. Lot of bad drivers out there.”

It’s all very tongue-in-cheek nonsense, showing viewers just how “dumb” our Dumb and Dumber main characters are going to be. BUT, there is some truth to our friend Lloyd Christmas’s words. According to the National Safety Council,  in 2021, the death rate for automobiles was 1.66 per 10,000 vehicles. A total of 42,939 people died in motor vehicle crashes in that year alone. Your odds of being in a motor vehicle crash are 1 in 366 for every 1,000 miles driven.

Pretty scary stuff considering many of us drive every single day.

But, before you swear off your daily drive, consider this (again from National Safety Council):

The population motor-vehicle death rate reached its peak in 1937 with 30.8 deaths per 100,000 population. The current rate is 14.3 per 100,000, representing a 54% improvement.

In 1913, 33.38 people died for every 10,000 vehicles on the road. In 2021, the death rate was 1.66 per 10,000 vehicles, a 95% improvement.

In 1923, the first year miles driven was estimated, the motor-vehicle death rate was 18.65 deaths for every 100 million miles driven. Since 1923, the mileage death rate has decreased 92%.

While any motor vehicle death is one too many, the fact remains that traveling by car is a lot safer than it used to be. Modern safety features and traffic laws have had a tremendous impact on death rates. Even with fewer cars on the road, the early days of the automobile were much more dangerous than they are today. In fact, it was on this day all the way back in 1899–way before cars became a staple of the American way of life–that the first automobile-related death was ever recorded.

On September 13, 1899, at West 74th Street and Central Park West in New York City, Henry Hale Bliss, a 69-year-old local real estate dealer, was exiting a south-bound 8th Avenue trolley car when he was struck by a taxicab. Bliss hit the pavement, crushing his head and chest. He was taken by ambulance to Roosevelt Hospital but died from his sustained injuries the next morning.

Arthur Smith, the driver of the taxicab, claimed that a large truck occupied the right side of the avenue, making it necessary to drive his vehicle closer to the car. Smith was arrested and charged with manslaughter, but was subsequently acquitted on the grounds that he had no malice, nor was he negligent.

A plaque was dedicated at the site on September 13, 1999, to commemorate the hundred-year anniversary of this event. It reads:

Here at West 74th Street and Central Park West, Henry H. Bliss dismounted from a streetcar and was struck and knocked unconscious by an automobile on the evening of September 13, 1899. When Mr. Bliss, a New York real estate man, died the next morning from his injuries, he became the first recorded motor vehicle fatality in the Western Hemisphere.This sign was erected to remember Mr. Bliss on the centennial of his untimely death and to promote safety on our streets and highways.

So, though statistically speaking, your odds of being in an automobile crash are much lower than they ever have been, let the anniversary of Bliss’s death be a reminder of our continued need for improvements and advancements in the arena of vehicular safety.

Stand Up And Fight

We have an enemy.

I know people don’t like to hear that or even to think that, but it’s true. Especially if you are a Christian, you must learn to live with the fact that you (and I) have an enemy.

But it’s not who the world is trying to tell you it is.

It’s so easy to get sucked into society’s hatred, which seeks always to draw battle lines in the sand over any kind of difference or disagreement. You have a different skin color? Then you’re on one side and I’m on the other, and we’re enemies. You voted for a different political party? Then you’re on one side and I’m o the other, and we’re enemies. Even in so-called “religious” circles, enemies can still be found (hello, Catholics and Protestants!)

And that’s exactly what the REAL enemy wants.

Scripture, however, makes it clear that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens” (Ephesians 6:12).

Our fight is not against other people; it is against the devil. And, make no mistake–his work is all around us. Even if you’re not a Christian and you don’t believe Satan is real, I bet you would at least agree with me on this one point: evil is alive and well in the world. Watch five minutes of the news, scroll through social media, or even just take a gander at the happenings in your own neighborhood. Chances are, it won’t be hard to find people wronged, crimes going unpunished, and lives being shattered.

Darkness is everywhere, folks. So what are we supposed to do about it?

FIGHT IT.

Don’t get me wrong–I’m not talking about militant Christianity here, and I’m certainly not talking about meeting violence with violence. But I am talking about casting off the tendency to sit around bemoaning the state of the world, moping, living in fear, or being stuck in despair. I’m talking about rising up and choosing to FIGHT for LIGHT.

There is a reason Ephesians 6 talks about a Christian’s life in terms of warfare: it’s because it is. But because we aren’t called to fight things of this world, we also can’t use the weapons of this world in which to do it. The world fights with violence, hatred, oppression, and fear. Christians are called to equip themselves with the “full armor of God,” which includes the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit (see Ephesians 6: 13-17). We fight the enemy of God with the weapons of God–and the weapons of God aren’t weapons at all in the traditional sense of the word. They aren’t meant to kill or wound; they are meant to enlighten and heal.

So, Christians, equip yourself. Ready yourself. We are not called to win the war—God has already done that–but we are called to fight the battle. If you see darkness, hatred, or injustice in your family, friends, neighborhood, or town, don’t cower in fear or allow bitterness or complacency to take root. Fight back. Pray for God’s guidance to show you how to use His weapons to counterattack. Fight the darkness with light–love those who hate, speak words of peace rather than war, showcase hope in your life rather than despair. Choose God…and choose Him over and over and over again. Because the world desperately needs to see they have a choice.

The enemy is cunning, crafty, wicked, and unfortunately, you are I are living in a world where so many have been taken hostage by his lies. Choosing to fight against his dominion is tiring. But I can also promise you that, if you do, you will also see that it is battle worth fighting.

And you won’t be doing it alone.

Summer Hiatus!

Both the normal “Wellness Wednesday” and “History Friday” posts will be on hiatus for the next few months as I take some time off to spend with family. Both columns will return in the fall.

Have a great summer!

A Fool’s Errand

The name Martin Frobisher is, to all but the most hardcore of historians, rarely remembered among the name of the great British explorers of the 1500’s. And, if mentioned at all, it’s usually not in conjunction with his several successful trading voyages or even his sketchy foray into piracy. No, Martin Frobisher is usually only associated with one name and one name only:

Fool.

Frobisher had grand ambitions, the biggest of which was his desire to discover a Northwest passage into Asia, thus finally busting open the lucrative trade market with China. “It is still the only thing left undone whereby a notable mind might be made famous and remarkable,” he is quoted as saying. Frobisher vowed “rather to make a sacrifice onto God of his lyfe than to return home withowt the discovery of [China] except by compulsion of extreme force and necessity.”

His first attempt, which left England in May 1575, returned four months later, after having sighted Greenland and reaching what is now known as Frobisher Bay in Baffin Island. It had, however, done comparatively little towards finding the sought-after passage to Asia. It did, however, generate the excitement and interest Frobisher had hoped for, due in a large part to the captured Eskimo he paraded around the country like a circus animal. (The Eskimo died from disease not long after).

Buoyed by this, Frobisher made a second voyage. This time, however, they found the Greenland coast so wrapped in mist that landing was impossible. Eventually, the fleet anchored in Hall Island. With the way forward blocked, the men decided to use the time exploring the land instead and, to Frobisher’s surprise, found it ripe with what appeared to be gold-bearing ore. The men collected about 200 tons of it before returning to England, hoping to beat the winter storms.

The Queen was elated, the public fascinated. Here, finally, was England’s own gold discovery! The government quickly put together funding for Frobisher to make a third voyage, which set sail on May 31, 1578. This time, however, the quest for the Northwest Passage was long-since forgotten. This trip was for gold. Though besieged by storms, Frobisher and his crew again managed to mine the ore and return to England with 1,340 tons of it, expecting an even bigger hero’s welcome.

They didn’t get one.

Unbeknownst to Frobisher, while he had been away, his original batch of ore had been sent to the best gold refiners in the country. All of them found that they were unable to smelt down the metal. The reason? It wasn’t gold at all.

It was iron pyrites.

What we now know as fool’s gold.

Yep, that’s right. Martin Frobisher was the original fool.

Instead of increasing the country’s wealth, Frobisher’s ore was used only to pave its streets.

The company which had been formed to finance the expedition refused to pay Frobisher his salary, and he lived in dismal poverty for a number of years, until Queen Elizabeth restored him to favor by making him a vice-admiral to Drake. The fact that he was eventually knighted for his gallantry while fighting the Spanish Armada must have no doubt consoled him a bit.

But it didn’t change his legacy.

Or his namesake.

Work–Don’t Just Pray–for Success

Fred Smith was a leadership expert who worked as a former consultant to companies such Mobil, Caterpillar, and GENESCO. He was also a notable speaker, giving talks and speeches in all fifty states, and a best-selling author of four books, You and Your Network, Learning to Lead, Leading with Integrity, and Breakfast with Fred. More importantly, however, Fred was a devout Christian whose true passion lay in providing guidance for pastors and ministries, which he did for over 50 years. At the heart of his teaching was always the encouragement to get to the heart of each problem first before trying to fix it. Only by recognizing the underlying issue, cause, or motivation can one lead to a true solution.

If his success was any indication, he was onto something.

Though Smith was strong in his faith, he often surprised people by telling them he never prayed for success. “I believe in working for success much more than praying for it,” he was quoted as saying. “Pray for maturity, and work for success.”

Sounds strange coming from a self-professed Christian, doesn’t it?

It shouldn’t.

The truth is, the results of any of our activities lay in God’s hands. We cannot control the outcome of any of our endeavors any more than we can control the weather. However, this does not mean that we should approach life passively or–even worse–lazily, believing whatever God has meant to be for our lives will somehow miraculously occur. Our role should always been to prayerfully engage with life, seeking to walk in obedience at the direction of the Holy Spirit, doing what God tells us to do and when. Only once we have faithfully done all God has called us to do can we truly experience rest in our souls as we trust God with the outcome.

Let me give you a practical example.

I always wanted to be an author. From a young age, it was a dream of mine though, as I got older and realized how difficult and complicated the publishing world was, it was one I wasn’t sure I would be able to fulfill. Nevertheless, I always felt a nudging on my Spirit to at least pursue it. So I did. And nearly eleven years after I started, I finally held my first published book in my hands, a feat I know would not have been possible without God.

But what if I had never sat down at the computer and begun to type? What if I hadn’t taken beta reader feedback and honed and polished my rough draft into a coherent story? What if I had never sent out emails searching for agents? What if I had taken that first publisher rejection and decided to quit?

What if I had only prayed for God to make me a published author…but never worked hard and taken the steps needed to achieve it?

Now, don’t get me wrong. Do I believe in the power of prayer? Absolutely. Do I believe in miracles? You betcha. But I do know that it’s a whole heck of a lot harder to become a published author if you don’t first write a book.

What Fred Smith was trying to teach people is that we have a role to fill in our relationship with God. Yes, He loves us, has a plan for us, and wants us to do great things for His glory…but all of those things are HIS part to play. Our job is to show up, do the work, and trust Him with everything else.

That’s not to say we can’t petition God with specific requests. I sure did over those long eleven years as I was waiting for publication. But the fact remains that we have no idea how (or when) God will answer those prayers. We know He does, though, and it is for this reason that we can trust Him, not only in this, but in providing the guidance we need to take that next step in obedience however it might look.

Play your part, friends. As Fred Smith said, “work enthusiastically, work intelligently, work intensely, and work ethically.”

Then watch and see what God will do.

The Greatest Crime in Literary History

George Gordon Byron, more famously known as Lord Byron, was a prolific English romantic poet, though he is mostly known for Don Juan, a 17-cantos poem whose scandalous subject matter (in it, he openly expresses his disgust of fellow poets William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge) only lends to its popularity among scholars of English works today. His messy personal life and penchant for fame only added to his popularity (a commotion his wife Annabella called “Byromania”) that did not abate after his death in 1824. His insatiable fans (and critics) wanted more.

And Byron, ever the shrewd businessman, had made plans to give it to them.

As early as 1809, while traveling in Albania with his friend John Cam Hobhouse, Byron began writing an account of his life and thoughts, though he didn’t really begin pursuing the idea of a memoir fully until 1818. In July, he wrote a letter to his publisher, John Murray, letting him know he was writing them and, by October of that same year, revealed that he had finished the project. He stated that he had given the memoirs to his friend Thomas Moore, an Irish writer and poet, for safekeeping. He reiterated to both Moore and Murray that the memoirs were “[not] for publication during my life – but when I am cold – you may do what you please.” Between 1820 and 1821 Byron added a second portion, bringing the manuscript to a length of 120,000 words. In July 1821, with Byron’s blessing, Moore sold the manuscript to Murray for the enormous sum of £2100, but then Byron had second thoughts and the deal was renegotiated to give Moore and himself the power to buy back the Memoirs during Byron’s lifetime. They remained in Murray’s possession when Byron died on 19 April 1824 in Greece.

With Bryon’s own assent, the memoirs were now free to be used for publication, an act which would more than likely have brought in a fortune for both the publishing house and the Bryon estate. Instead, in an act that is sometimes referred to as the “greatest crime in literary history,” on the 17th of May, 1824, two hundred years ago today, the manuscript was destroyed in the fireplace of 50 Albemarle Street, the offices of Byron’s publisher, by a group of his friends and family, including Byron’s widow; his half-sister, Augusta Leigh; his publisher, John Murray II (his young son, John Murray III, was also present); and his friends John Cam Hobhouse and Thomas Moore. Though history remains murky about who exactly was the driving force behind the decision (some point the blame at Moore, others at Hobhouse), the question of culpability is second to discerning the nature of WHY such an act took place.

Byron, after all, had told Moore the manuscript was free to be published after his death and had not balked at Moore showing it to certain trusted friends (so much so, in fact, that the pages became worn from over-use and Moore had to make a copy to ensure the manuscript’s preservation–which was also burned in the fire that consumed the original). Comments on the memoir’s contents varied: Byron’s former lover, Lady Caroline Lamb, said in a letter that they were “of no value – a mere copy-book.” However, Byron himself told Thomas Medwin that “when you read my Memoirs you will learn the evils, moral and physical, of true dissipation. I can assure you my life is very entertaining and very instructive”. William Gifford, an editor working for Murray, considered that “the whole Memoirs were fit only for a brothel and would damn Lord B. to everlasting infamy if published”. (To be fair, however, it must be noted that Gifford had held the same opinion of Don Juan). For his part, Moore drew a distinction between the two parts, saying first part contained “little unfit for publication”, but as for the second part, “some of its details could never have been published at all.”

The men (and women) who participated in the burning remained mum, aside from public sniping and finger pointing after knowledge of the destruction became known. But, whoever is ultimately responsible, the burning of Byron’s memoirs – and the loss of whatever they revealed about one of the first modern celebrities – has haunted literal scholars ever since.