Hello, this is pastor gary from first baptist church of laplata. On this date in history, 158 years ago, President Lincoln delivered his now-famous Gettysburg Address. President Lincoln followed Edward Everett, a famous orator of the day, who had just spoken to the same crowd for almost two hours straight. Lincoln’s address was short and sweet, only 292 words lasting about three minutes and representing a political pivot for him; Lincoln had not been anti-slavery, pro-equality in his presidential campaign but decided to be so later in his presidency. Jesus was also known for brevity. What is commonly called the “Lord’s Prayer” has two versions in the Gospels: Matthew’s containing 70 words and Luke’s containing 57 words which show that it is not how much we say that matters but rather what we say. President Lincoln packed a lot into his 292 words addressing the essential American themes of liberty and equality; Jesus packed even more into His short prayers and parables helping to prepare us for life and eternity. Let’s not be unnecessarily wordy; but let’s be careful to share the truth of God and His Word with others.
Leave a Reply