The first battle of the Revolutionary War, often referred to as the Battles of Lexington and Concord, marked the beginning of the American struggle for independence from British rule. On April 19, 1775, in the Massachusetts towns of Lexington and Concord, colonial militiamen clashed with British regulars in a confrontation that would ignite a revolution and alter the course of history.

What happened remains a point of contention. A shot rang out, the origin unknown. It would be known as “the shot heard ’round the world” by poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. The British regulars opened fire. The militia, caught off guard, returned a few scattered shots. The skirmish lasted mere minutes. The causalities were light but its impact was the birth of a new nation that would one day be known as the United States of America.

A ragtag group of men would found the most powerful country in history. What followed was the Declaration of Independence a little over a year later. Later, what were known as the Articles of Confederation as the basis of a new government, later cast aside in favor of the Constitution of the United States. When asked what type of government had been put together, Benjamin Franklin declared, “A Republic, if you can keep it.”

Perhaps we have succeeded in preserving the legacy entrusted to us, or perhaps we’ve allowed the principles of liberty to gradually slip through our fingers, lost forever. It would be a fascinating experiment to test this, but unfortunately, we can only do so through speculation, as the true test is beyond our reach, but we can play.

Two hundred and fifty years later, imagine resurrecting the Founders of this nation for a single day to hear their thoughts on our present state. As they return to their graves, would they shake their heads in disappointment, or would they depart with a nod of approval, saying, “Well done”?

BAL124958 The Battle of Lexington, April 19th 1775, from ‘Connecticut Historical Collections’, by John Warner Barber, engraved by A. Doolittle, 1832 (coloured engraving) by American School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add. info.: beginning of US War of Independence; first engraved in 1775); American, out of copyright

Today marks the 250th anniversary of Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride on April 18, 1775, a moment immortalized by Longfellow’s poem, which suggests Revere was warning that the British regulars were coming to fight. But that’s not the full, nor the correct, story. The British weren’t seeking a battle that night. So, like Paul Harvey used to say, here’s the rest and the truth of the story.

General Thomas Gage, the British military governor of Massachusetts, had intelligence that colonists were stockpiling munitions and military supplies in Concord. His mission was clear: confiscate the colonists’ guns and gunpowder to suppress their ability to resist. There was no Second Amendment then, but this event underscores why we have one now; the right to bear arms was born from the fear of government overreach.

Paul Revere’s mission was to protect the colonists’ private firearms from government seizure. That night, he rode to warn the militia and leaders like Samuel Adams and John Hancock, not shouting “the British are coming” as the poem claims; he was more discreet to avoid capture, but alerting them that British troops were on the move to disarm them. His warning set the stage for the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first clashes of the American Revolution.

Revere’s ride was a warning then, and it resonates 250 years later: the government sought to take citizens’ guns to control them. It didn’t work out for the British in 1775. They faced fierce resistance and ultimately lost the war.

Let’s not let history repeat itself in the other direction today. Protect the right to bear arms, as did the colonists.

I spent my life being told the dangers of looking at an eclipse unprotected, so I didn’t. Yesterday, my wife was going to watch it with the grandkids, so I researched the glasses.

I went to get a pair from a guy selling glasses from his truck, which had a table next to it. He handed me a pair, but I had the numbers written down. He was ready for me and read the numbers. All good, but one problem.

Me: These are 2015 glasses. They’re nine years old.

Him: I don’t know. 5 dollars.

Me: They’re nine years old. You get these for free and sell them for 5 bucks. You have quite a racket going here.

But I bought the glasses, went home, and warned my wife to be careful. I warned her the glasses were old. She reminded me that I said only the numbers mattered. I only bought one pair since I wasn’t going.

But after nine years, a scratch is enough, and after nine years, there had to be a problem. I kept talking to her, trying to convince her not to go. I told her she could be blind with a couple seconds of exposure.

A friend of mine came over. She handed him the glasses to try on. The guy has a head the size of a watermelon. Now, the glasses would fall off her head while watching the eclipse. I showed my wife pictures of people holding the sides of the glasses against their heads with their hands. I told her to make sure to do this to be safe.

When she left, I again instructed her to keep herself safe. I was going to stay home but decided to run an errand. I grabbed my cane–yes, I use a cane. It’s my Bat Masterson look.

We were in the path of totality. As I was driving, it was starting to get dark. I put my lights on, stopped the car, and glanced at the Sun. It looked hazy. When I got to the end of the back road, I stopped and looked again. The Sun was almost blocked, so I started driving again. Another mile, and I was where I needed to be. I looked up again. The Sun was blocked, and the corona circled it. My glances were all short.

When I returned from the store, the Sun was really bright. I looked up, but it was too bright. I got in my car and drove to Watermelon Head’s house–actually, one of the barns. I told him on the way over that I could see wavy lines in front of my eyes. I have a somewhat large floater, which was now still, and my eyes hurt slightly.

My wife called while I was there. I told her what I was experiencing with my eyes. She expressed disbelief after hearing what I had done after all of my yapping about the importance of the right glasses, but she showed no concern.

Me: I could go blind.

Her: We’ll get you a white cane.

Uproarious laughter from Watermelon Head.

Fight to win at all costs; fair fights don’t exist in today’s world. Someone might die, so make sure it’s not you. Rip off an ear, gouge an eye, don’t sweat it; the other guy has a spare. Getting punched in the face? Doesn’t hurt in the moment. If you do it wrong, throwing one back can mess up your hand, but this isn’t some ’50s Western; no one’s winning with a punch to the jaw shot. Use an elbow, a knee, or slam a fist into their gut or heart; that works. Strike first as your defense and keep moving. It’s twenty seconds of chaos tops unless you’re dumb. It’s no-holds-barred and looks wild, but it’s calculated. Be the rabid monkey.

Matthew 7:13-14, part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, and it reads:

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

The passage emphasizes the importance of making conscious and disciplined choices to live a life aligned with God’s will. The “narrow gate” symbolizes the path of righteousness and faith, which is challenging and requires effort and dedication. In contrast, the “wide gate” represents the easy, worldly path that leads to spiritual destruction and separation from God.

The wide and narrow gates are metaphors. We all start on the path toward the wide gate. The narrow gate being hard to find doesn’t mean God is hard to find. God is accessible to everyone through creation, scripture, prayer, and the longing in our hearts.

It means we make choices and the discipline required to live according to God’s teachings. It’s less about God’s presence being hard to find and more about the challenge of staying on the “narrow path” amidst life’s distractions and temptations.

The narrow gate metaphor reminds us that while God’s grace is freely given, actively living in faith takes effort and perseverance. It encourages believers to seek and keep God with sincerity and commitment, even when it is difficult or you may doubt God’s existence.

Think of it, in part, of The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck, a book based on the idea that personal growth and fulfillment often come through facing life’s challenges with discipline, responsibility, and grace rather than taking the easy way out.

Peck’s philosophy aligns in some ways with Matthew 7:13-14, as both encourage choosing the path that requires effort and commitment but ultimately leads to deeper rewards-whether spiritual, emotional, or personal. Here, we’re talking spiritual, which leads to growth in all other ways.