This weekend is Holy Weekend — where we remember the crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is my main focus as a Christian and as a pastor. Neverthless, I’m a citizen of the United States and the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution doesn’t come around often. Well, it only comes around once. So, you’ll have to indulge me as I take a few moments to reflect on it.
Today (April 19, 2025) marks 250 years since the beginning of the American Revolution. It was in the early morning hours of April 19, 1775, that the first shots were fired at Lexington and later Concord, and the struggle for American independence officially began.
It’s a major milestone in the history of the United States. But how should Christians think about it?
Let’s be clear: Christians should never glorify violence. We should not romanticize war or eagerly pursue revolution. Scripture tells us to “seek peace, and pursue it” (Psalm 34:14), and “as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18). That should always be our posture.
And to be fair, it was the posture of many of our nation’s Founders.
Contrary to what some may assume, even the men who gathered on Lexington Green in April 1775 were there as a show of resolve. They had been informed the night before (by riders Paul Revere, Samuel Prescott, and William Dawes) that the redcoats were marching into the interior of Massachusetts from Boston to confiscate weapons and arrest leaders of the colonial resistance. The men of Lexington had no intention of blocking or firing on the British army as it marched by their town. And they didn’t. It was the British who chose to confront them.
And when the British did confront them, the Lexington militia commander ordered his men to disperse. It was then that the “shot heard ’round the world” rang out. To this day, no one knows who fired it. But it changed the world.
But long before that fateful shot rang out on Lexington Green, the colonies had petitioned the British Crown repeatedly. Peaceful efforts were made for years—through official assemblies, written grievances, and formal appeals. The desire was not for bloodshed but for a peaceful redress of grievances.
Were there some hotheads among the colonists who contributed to the violence? Yes.
You will not find me defending the colonial riots that destroyed property or the tarring-and-feathering of British officials. Nor am I that enamored with the Sons of Liberty and some of the early antics of agitator Samuel Adams or smuggler John Hancock.
I much prefer the reasonableness and courage of men like John Adams, who, despite his support for colonial grievances, defended the British soldiers unjustly accused of the so-called “Boston Massacre,” which had taken place five years before the confrontation in Lexington.
Nevertheless, war did come. And, ultimately, all of the men we know today as the Founding Fathers took up arms against the British Empire.
Should we as Americans celebrate a war?
The Bible makes it clear: war is a tragic part of life in a fallen world. James writes that wars come from sin (James 4:1), and Jesus warns that there will be “wars and rumours of wars” (Matthew 24:6), even more so as we approach the end.
As I’ve written elsewhere, sin remains a reality this side of eternity, and so, sadly, does war.
Christians are not called to be warmongers. But neither are we to be naive.
As Ecclesiastes 3:8 says, there is “a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” In a fallen world, there are times when peace isn’t possible and when even God’s people must fight.
Even then, our cause and conduct should be weighed carefully. The Just War tradition, grounded in biblical and moral principles, calls for war to be a last resort, waged for a just cause, by proper authority, and with restraint. We must never forget that war is never “good.” It is, at best, a tragic necessity.
Still, some Christians look at Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2 and argue that the American Founders were wrong to resist British authority. I respect that view. We are indeed called to submit to governing authorities. That’s the default posture for the Christian.
But Scripture also makes clear that we are to “obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). And the Bible shows us multiple instances where God raised up individuals to resist civil authorities and even (in some cases) start something new.
What if God led the Founders to form a new nation? What if, in their imperfect way, they were being used by God to carve out a new nation, in the words of Abraham Lincoln, “dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal”? What if God was behind what Martin Luther King, Jr. called a “promissory note” for future generations?
Many of the Founders certainly believed God was calling them to a noble endeavor — something George Washington boldly called a “sacred cause.”
Were they right?
Only God knows.
Each of them has long since stood before their Creator and given account.
But we live here and now. And for those of us in the United States, the question is not whether we agree with every decision made 250 years ago. The question is how we live today.
We should honor the country in which we live (1 Peter 2:17). And we should give thanks—yes, with discernment and humility—for the blessings of liberty and opportunity we enjoy.
I’m not encouraging anyone reading this to be a chest-thumping nationalist blind to the sins of his or her own nation. I’m certainly not brandishing patriotism as a weapon or partisan prop. I endorse no political party here. I’m simply saying that the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution shouldn’t pass without notice.
For those of us who are Christians who live in the United States, I believe today should be a moment of thanksgiving and reflection.
God bless you. And, yes, may God bless the United States of America.
Thank you for Reading!
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