The Most Famous Man in America

Posted on Sunday, September 10th, 2006 at 5:01 am

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I am currently reading the new biography of Henry Ward Beecher, The Most Famous Man in America by Debby Applegate (Doubleday, 2006).  For those of you unfamiliar with Rev. Beecher, he was, during his day, arguably, a minister, yet the most famous man in America. Only a chapter and a half into it, I am taken with the wonderful detail with which Applegate paints the childhood of Henry, growing up with a father who was the “last of the puritans.â€?
Ms. Applegate is no friend of Calvinism or Puritanism, but seeing it through the eyes of young Henry it is easy to see why.  He speaks of his father very fondly and lovingly, but of many of the doctrines that he endured as almost horrific.  He remembers his families observation of the Sabbath in this way, “Sunday was the most dreadful day of the week to me.â€?  It was the day of “Thou shalt not, Thou shalt not.â€?  Even laughing was forbidden.  Happiness itself seemed to be a sin on the Sabbath.
Henry credits his conversion to an African American with whom he shared a room as a young man.  The man’s name was Charles Smith, he was a jack-of-all trades who worked at Henry’s house.  What drew him to Henry was his joy.  Henry had never seen a person laugh while they prayed and really seemed to enjoy speaking with God.  It was from Charles Smith that Henry learned that Christianity could help make a person happy on earth, not just in heaven.  This was a lesson that would stay with Henry for his entire ministry.  Let none of us ever forget what tremendous impact we can have on the lives of children.  We never know when that child may grow up to be “the most famous man (or woman) in America.  More on Beecher’s life (which did not end very well) later this week