History Channel

I love the History Channel! In the last week I have watched three wonderful documentaries on Abe Lincoln, Ben Franklin and John Adams. I knew quite a bit about Lincoln already, but his story still fascinates me. I knew very little about Adams and found his struggles both interesting and quite sad. But it was Franklin who grabbed my attention last week.

If you split his life into three parts, any one of them would be worth documenting and admiring. The first third of his life was spent becoming a very successful business man. He started with nothing and by the age of 42 had more money than he could ever spend.

So he retired and started the second third of his life. No big deal, he just invented the best way to heat homes (the Franklin stove), helped people see better (bifocals), and saved countless lives and whole towns by taming lightening (the lightening rod). Those are just a few of his inventions and he did not patent any of them. He said he just wanted to help make life better for others and he didn't need more money! Sounds down right un-American doesn't it?

After that, he thought he'd finish his life by working with George Washington to win the revolutionary war and set the tone for a new country. Just something to do in his old age.

Two particular things struck me while learning more about Franklin. The first is that his story along with many others reminded me that the USA no longer sends its best and brightest into public service. We send our richest and slickest. That made me sad.

The second thing that struck me was more encouraging. Franklin professed a belief in God, but did not claim allegiance to any one denomination. He did believe that churches were wonderful organizations because they helped people so, he contributed to every church building fund in Philadelphia. About 35 in all. It was customary at a funeral procession for the pastor of the deceased to lead the casket. Franklin's casket was led by 35 men of God from 35 different churches.

As much as we can learn from this wise businessman, this creative inventor and this respected elder statesman, it's his funeral procession that I can't get out of my head.