In Christ There is No North or South

The first Civil War Reenactment that I attended was on a Sunday morning.  My husband , son and my son's  friend  were talking to some soldiers from the 77th Pennsylvania  when some of the soldiers looked at their watch and realized that church was about to start.  They grabbed their folding stools and took off at a run to get there before the service started.  We followed, albeit at a slower pace.  What I observed when I arrived touched me.

The service was led by a Confederate officer.  In attendance were soldiers and civilians from both sides, as well as some spectators.  Chairs were being brought out to accommodate everyone.  Then the worship began,  Civil War style.  The songs, the preaching, and the testimony were all consistent with the time period, but no one was reenacting.  This was real.  There we sat and worshiped together...North and South, 19th century and modern.  It reminded me of the song, "In Christ there is no East or West.  In Him no North or South."  This song was written in 1908, well after the "Late Unpleasantness," but sums up the emotions that I feel during these open air services. 

During the Civil War revival broke out.  It has been said that there are no atheists in fox holes.  Men who faced hardships and death on a daily basis leaned on God for comfort and  support.  Both sides prayed and worshiped the same God.  Both sides asked for God's blessing and for victory.  Someone once asked Abraham Lincoln if he thought that God was on their side.  Lincoln responded, "Sir, my concern is not whether  God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right." 

God is not a God of North or South, God is a God for all.  There is no better illustration than to see representatives of both sides in corporate worship.

In Christ now meet both East and West,

In Him meet North and south;

All Christly souls are one in him

Throughout the whole wide earth.¹

^1" In Christ There Is No East or West" by William Dunkerley.

Built To Last

Last week my 11 year old washing machine went south and I had to call for a repair man to come out.  In the process of deciding whether to fix it or buy a new one, I asked the repair man if it would last another 11 years if the expensive repairs were done.  His response was, "no, they just aren't built like they used to be.  They aren't built to last."  That got me to thinking about 19th century things.  I have a sewing machine that was built in 1898.  I have used it for the last 20 years, and it will probably last another 100 years.  Last year I bought a modern electric sewing machine.  My treadle, though, is still the one that I use for primary sewing jobs.  It will handle heavy fabrics much better than my modern one.  It is also more reliable with less breakdowns and when something does go wrong with it I can fix it myself.   

How about the light bulb?  I have a hard time keeping light bulbs stocked in my house including the expensive curly ones that are supposed to last several times longer than the incandescent bulbs but don't.  Compare that with the original Edison bulbs.  There are several of those still burning, some of which have been doing so for over 100 years. 

And then there is the automobile.  I remember a time when you could work on your own vehicle.  Today they all have computers, which make them expensive and hard to fix, and you can't even play Spider Solitaire on them.  In fact, many if not most of the items that we use every day contain computers of one kind or another.  (Oh no, the computer in my coffee pot just crashed and I couldn't get my caffeine fix today.)

I really enjoy the simplicity of 19th century things.  For example, where can you buy a modern cherry pitter?  I long to find a 19th century one in good useable condition.  I have a cherry tree in the back yard and removing the "stones" by hand is tedious.  There are some things that just can't be improved upon.  I would like to hear from my readers.  Are there 19th century things that you enjoy and still use today?  I look forward to hearing your comments. 

As a side note, when I went to the store to buy a new washer the salesman assured me that the new ones were built to last.  He told me that it would be the last washer that I would ever have to buy.  I don't know how old he thought I was, but we will see how long it lasts.