Pertinacity and General Grant

According to britannica.com, the Civil War Battle of the Wilderness (May 5–7, 1864) was the first battle of Union General Ulysses S. Grant’s Overland Campaign. This was a relentless drive to defeat Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s army and capture the South’s capital at Richmond, Virginia. Although a bloody and inconclusive encounter resulting in a high body count, the battle put the Confederates on the defensive and set the stage for the South’s eventual defeat.

A general officer came in from his command at this juncture, and said to the general-in-chief, speaking rapidly and laboring under considerable excitement: “General Grant, this is a crisis that cannot be looked upon too seriously. I know Lee's methods well by past experience ; he will throw his whole army between us and the Rapidan, and cut us off completely from our communications.” The general rose to his feet, took his cigar out of his mouth, turned to the officer, and replied, with a degree of animation which he seldom manifested : “Oh, I am heartily tired of hearing about what Lee is going to do. Some of you always seem to think he is suddenly going to turn a double somersault, and land in our rear and on both of our flanks at the same time. Go back to your command, and try to think what we are going to do ourselves, instead of what Lee is going to do.” The officer retired rather crestfallen, and without saying a word in reply. (Campaigning with Grant, Horace Porter)

So here we are, church leaders. We are all talking about what the world’s challenges are doing to us as a church: the pandemic, racism, fickle members, elections, gender inclusion, minister burnout, economy…. After hearing this story from one of my shepherds, I’m more inspired to think about we are going to do ourselves, rather than what circumstances are going to do to us. Even more, I’m determined to see how Jesus is going to work through us despite the oppressive series of bad news.

Easy to say, I know, but much harder to do. Leadership is hard. There are so many days when I want to look for another job, and it’s likely your ministers feel the same.

President Lincoln said, “It is the dogged pertinacity of Grant that wins.” Pertinacity is a mix of courage, conviction, and a little stubbornness.

After two devastating days of fighting in the Wilderness, with Grant’s army suffering 17,666 casualties compared to the Confederates at 7,500, the question loomed as to what Grant and the Union Army of the Potomac would actually do.

Which direction would Grant turn? Back north in the direction of the Rapidan? Back toward the humiliating retreats of the past? As the men swarmed to see, Grant turned south. He turned onto the road leading to the Spotsylvania Court House, where Lee waited. In one of the most dramatic moments of the entire war, soldiers leaped to their feet and began to cheer, their voices echoing through the forest. (American Ulysses, Ronald C. White, p. 339.)

Over the course of the next year, after numerous other battles and setbacks, Grant never turned the army north, he never retreated, even when pressured to do so. And because of this, Richmond ultimately fell, and Lee surrendered his Army of Virginia, effectively ending the Civil War.

After years of ministry, countless hours of begging God to equip me to be a strong spiritual leader, I’ve decided that I’m going to have to be stopped rather than wait on approval or permission. I’ve never used the word pertinacity before, but I’d say it fits what is required of spiritual leaders. I’m praying for all of us as we channel a little more pertinacity.

If it’s been a while since you read these verses from Rom. 8:31-39, maybe today is a good day to hear from these old friends.

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.