epicurean

Not The Beer: The Other One

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Samuel-Adams-Poster-Worthy-of-AidWe live in the age of chefs who are masters of culinary delights and connoisseurs of fine ales and home brewed drinks. I find it strange that these epicurean tendencies have tapped the keg of notoriety and made a brand more famous than the man.

Samuel Adams Boston Lager is larger and more famous than its namesake, Samuel Adams, who served in several different capacities that benefited the American revolution and the birthing of our nation:

  • He was a member of the Continental Congress (1774-81)
  • He was a signer of  the Declaration of Independence (1776)
  • He helped draft the Articles of Confederation (1777)
  • He was a delegate to the Massachusetts constitutional convention (1779-80)
  • He served in the Massachusetts senate as president (1781)
  • He was the Lieutenant-Governor of Massachusetts (1789-94), and served as Governor of Massachusetts (1794- 97).

In the pages of history, you’ll see references to Samuel Adams as the “Firebrand of the Revolution” and “The Father of the American Revolution.” To successfully achieve the revolution, Adams knew that men of character would be an essential.  In November of 1775, He wrote:  “Nothing is more essential to the establishment of manners in a State than that all persons employed in places of power and trust must be men of unexceptionable characters.”

When I think of Adams’ call for men of “unexceptionable characters,” I can’t help but wonder about all the questionable characters we see in government today.

It would seem that Adams had connected the dots, and he believed there was a link between character and the Creator.  He said that, “Religion and good morals are the only solid foundation of public liberty and happiness . . . In the supposed state of nature, all men are equally bound by the laws of nature, or to speak more properly, the laws of the Creator.”

Even though Adams had tried and failed in his efforts to brew beer as a business, I think he would rather be remembered less for his lagers in life, and more for his larger than life role in the early years of our nation.

A Sweet Aroma

/ insightbyseymour / 1 Comment

young-chefI’ve never thought of myself as a gourmet chef, but when I need to I can prepare a decent meal.  I also know that if you add too much of one ingredient and not enough of another, a recipe can be ruined.

When Peter wrote his second letter, his advice was to never add-a-vice to your life.  Instead he advised people to add the right ingredients to their faith.  He said a compliment of “good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love” is a good recipe for life (I Peter 2:5-11).

I encourage you to devise a plan that can de-vice you of your vices, and I advise you to add-a-vise of strength to your faith.  When you add a cup of good character, and stir in some spiritual understanding, you might begin to smell the aroma of “passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love,” your life will have a sweet aroma that’s pleasing to God.