1780 – One of the first Methodist bishops in America, Francis Asbury, wrote in his journal: ‘My God, keep me through the water and fire, and let me rather die than live to sin against thee!’
1802 – In a letter written to the Danbury Baptist Association, Thomas Jefferson, used the phrase “a wall of separation between Church and State” for the first time. An idea that would come From 1947, the “wall of separation” concept gained acceptance as a constitutional guideline.
1808 — A law prohibiting the importation of slaves into the United States went into effect.
1919 – J.D. Salinger, author of “The Catcher in the Rye,” was born in New York City. Two quotes from Salinger’s works:
“If I were God, I certainly wouldn’t want people to love me sentimentally. It’s too unreliable.” (from Nine Stories)
“The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.” (From The Catcher in the Rye)
1959 — Fidel Castro led revolutionaries to victory over Batista’s forces in Cuba.
1960 Johnny Cash plays 1st of many free concerts behind prison bars. In honor of this, here is a video of the man in black.
Today is also the “Feast of Holy Name of Jesus,” the day when Jesus was circumcised according to Jewish law and officially given his name. As the book of Luke recounts in chapter 2, “After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel.”
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