During our recent “history tour,” Sandy and I stopped at a number of sites that had provided the backdrop for some of the most important events in U. S. history.At Gettysburg, we toured the famous battlefield where the Civil War’s pivotal battle was fought. Americans from north and south—fighting for different interpretations of the American dream—collided head-on at this sleepy little
Pennsylvania hamlet, forever catapulting it from obscurity to a place of prominence in the annals of military history. As we surveyed the rocky ridges and grassy knolls that once had echoed with gunfire, we reflected on the momentous events that had unfolded there some 150 years earlier. From the courageous Union defense of Little Round Top, during which the tenacious 20th Maine Regiment (along with other units) resisted the repeated onslaughts of the advancing Southern troops…to Pickett’s Charge, the Confederate army’s fateful, last-ditch effort 
to boldly advance across an open field in a hail of bullets and cannonballs…to the serene stillness of the National Cemetery were Abraham Lincoln, four months after the fighting, uttered his unforgettable Gettysburg Address...every stop we made confirmed that something of great magnitude had happened there. We even saw cannons representing the positions of artillery units from Danville, Virginia, serving under the 
command of General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. One wonders what would have happened had the battle of Gettysburg ended in a different result. What would our country (or countries) be like today? One can only speculate, of course. But one thing seems certain. The United States of America would not be what it is today. Gettysburg was indeed a pivotal point in our nation’s history.Later on, we visited Baltimore’s Fort McHenry, the site of another important—but largely forgotten—battle. During the War of 1812, Fort
McHenry was under the command of Major George Armistead. (Interestingly, his nephew, Lewis A. “Lo” Armistead—a brigadier general for the Confederate Army—would suffer a mortal wound at Gettysburg during Pickett’s Charge, some 50 years later.) During the Battle of Baltimore, Fort McHenry was our last line of defense against an invasion by the British navy. On September 13th, the fort came under intense bombardment. The Americans responded in kind with cannon fire from the fort. The battle was loud and long, raging throughout the night. Amazingly, when the new day dawned and the smoke cleared, the massive 15-star, 15-stripe American flag was still flying proudly over Fort McHenry. The British fleet withdrew. Francis 
Scott Key was so inspired by what he witnessed that he wrote down these immortal words, “O Say can you see, by the dawn’s early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, o’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming. And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there…” Many American today don’t give much thought to the War of 1812. It was the last time our U.S. mainland was invaded by a foreign military force. And it was the war that truly solidified us and gave us credibility as a young nation. Had Fort McHenry collapsed, the outcome of that war may been different. But thankfully it did not. Fort McHenry—the home of the Star-Spangled Banner—was a pivotal place in American history.
Sandy and I also made a stop at Valley Forge, the place where General George Washington and his weary troops hunkered down & endured the harsh winter of 1777-78. No battle was fought at Valley Forge, but it nonetheless was a pivotal place in American history. As winter drew nigh, the superior British forces seemed to be 
prevailing in the war effort. Washington and his more poorly supplied continental army needed a safe haven where they could retreat, retool, renew and ready themselves for the continuation of the struggle for independence. Valley Forge fit the bill. Although many hardships were endured during those bitterly cold winter months, the following spring the army emerged from their encampment stronger and better prepared to carry on the fight for freedom. Valley Forge proved to be another pivotal place in U.S. History. For where would we be today if Washington and his troops had not been able to carry on?
When we visited the city of Philadelphia, we saw historic Independence Hall, the place where it all began. The place where our founding fathers courageously gathered to adopt and sign the Declaration of Independence in 1776, as well as the U. S. Constitution in 1787. The place where political giants like Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and James Madison made their mark, giving birth and shape to a brand new nation and a brand new form of government. The place from which freedom rang out to every corner of our land. When you think about, it’s absolutely amazing to consider the concentrated creativity, courage and conviction that sprang forth from the hearts and minds of the men who participated in those historic gatherings. Without a doubt, the stately red brick structure on Liberty 
Square represents a pivotal place in our nation’s history. For where would be today had those important gatherings stalled and stalemated? Or what would have happened if the signers of the Declaration had panicked and gotten cold feet? Or if the framers of the Constitution had come up with a form of government that was wholly different from what we now have, such as another monarchy? Independence Hall was truly a pivotal place in our history.In our country, there many pivotal points that have shaped who we are today. Each of them should inspire us to be grateful for what we have, and mindful of what so easily might have been.
When I think about pivotal points in history, however, I cannot help but think of another place, far away from our country. A place where another drama played out, long, long ago. A place far across the sea. In the Middle East. The region of Palestine. Just outside the city of Jerusalem. A place called Golgotha, or Calvary. A place where once stood an old rugged cross upon which the Prince of Glory died. The Bible says that on the cross “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself.” But what if Jesus had not stayed on the cross? And what if Jesus had rejected His destiny as Savior of the world? What if He had chosen another path? Or what if God our Creator had simply washed His hands of us and let us go our own way? Where would we be today?
Thank God that we don’t have to answer those questions. Because when push came to shove, and everything was riding on Jesus, He did not falter. He did not fail. He did not forsake us. His love held firm, and His grace reached out and caught our falling souls. It was a pivotal moment for all of us. For truly it changed the course of history—as well as all eternity—for you, for me, and for all that will receive His message of forgiveness and His gift of eternal life.
Pastor Danny
