Pastor Peter Miller walked 70 miles to ask General Washington to pardon his enemy, a hostile neighbor who had mistreated him. Washington granted the pardon just before the execution. Dave Edgren tells this Revolutionary War story to show what Jesus meant by loving and praying for your enemies.
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Hi kids, my name is Dave Edgren, and I'd like to tell you a story from the country I come from. I come from America. Nearly 250 years ago, a war was raging in America. The new Americans were fighting against the British. They wanted to live their lives in their new land free and clear of their old lives and leaders from their old land. This war for independence was called the Revolutionary War. During war, people do very unkind things. Later, they look back and wish they'd been kinder to others, even to the enemy. But during war, most people treat their enemies very, very bad. The stress of war upsets people so much, sometimes they even treat their neighbors poorly. During the time of the Revolutionary War, there was a pastor named Peter Miller. Pastor Peter looked after a church in a small town in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He visited people in their homes, read from the Bible to them, and prayed with them that their sons would come home from war alive. He also preached sermons every weekend in his little church. Pastor Peter had a horrible neighbor. He may not have been a horrible person before the war, but he was now. Every time Pastor Peter walked past the neighbor's house, he would get shouted at, mean things. When his neighbor saw Peter in town, he would laugh and call him names. He would make fun of Pastor Peter's prayers and kindness to people. He's just coming to visit you for the free cakes and tea. Sometimes his neighbor would even come to town when church was on just to make fun of people as they came out of the church following that fool Pastor Peter. Oh, what a bunch of sheep! Pastor Peter tried not to let it bother him, and he told his church members to ignore the man. Pastor Peter knew his neighbor was suffering. During the war, Pastor Peter's neighbor was having a hard time. He was losing money as his business failed. The more he failed, the meaner he got. One day, some soldiers came to the neighbor's farm and arrested him. They took him to the local jail and locked him up. In a very quick trial, Pastor Peter's neighbor was accused and convicted of treason. Treason is when you do something to help the enemy win. Pastor Peter couldn't sleep the night after the conviction. He knew his neighbor was mean and that nobody liked him because of his angry words, but he didn't believe it. Pastor Peter didn't believe his neighbor had helped the enemy. He couldn't sleep. So he prayed. He prayed for wisdom. He prayed for his neighbor who was now in jail and would be hanged in just a week. In the morning, Pastor Peter got dressed. He put on his walking boots and he began walking. He walked 70 miles to where he knew General George Washington was leading the troops. It took the better part of 3 days to walk the 70 miles. He stopped only to sleep in kind people's homes. When it was dark and began walking again at first light. When he arrived at the military camp, he found General Washington and told him about his neighbor. He asked General Washington to write a pardon which would set his neighbor free. "I respect your pastor's heart," General Washington said, "but I cannot set a man free just because it hurts your Christian sensibilities that he be hanged. If he has been found guilty of treason, then he is guilty of treason." "I walked these 70 miles because I believe him to be innocent," Pastor Peter said. "I beg you for my neighbor's life." "I'm sorry," General Washington said. "70 miles is a long ways. Your neighbor is lucky to have a friend like you." "Friend?" Pastor Peter laughed. "He only speaks wicked words about me and my church. If anything, he's—" He's my worst enemy. This caused General Washington to jump out of his chair. "What?" he cried. "You walked 70 miles to save the life of an enemy? You know, that in my judgment puts this matter in a different light." And after thinking about it for a while, George Washington said, "I will grant your pardon." Pastor Peter walked home as quickly as he could. He arrived the morning his neighbor was to be hanged and entered town as his neighbor was being walked to the gallows. "Ha!" the neighbor shouted. "Pastor Peter come for his revenge, hey? Come to watch your old wicked neighbor hang?" Pastor Peter said, "Not at all," and handed the pardon to the jailer. His neighbor was set free and allowed to go home. How do you think this affected the neighbor? What about the townspeople? How do you think it made Pastor Peter feel to know that during wartime he had saved a life, even if it was the life of an enemy? We are living in the middle of a war, a war against germs. COVID is making some people very sick, but it's making even more people angry and upset. It's even causing some people to be horrible neighbors. We can choose how we act and how we speak. We can be like that neighbor or we can be like Pastor Peter. Do you know what made Pastor Peter different? He loved Jesus. He talked to Jesus and he wanted to be like Jesus. He had read in Matthew where Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." so that you may be children of your Father in heaven.
