An Old West Lesson

Think About It An Old West Lesson
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Faith Based Security Network

Jul 13, 2024

NOTE: This week’s TAI derived from my book, “Evil Invades Sanctuary”.

On the quiet afternoon of September 7th, 1876, a young man by the name of Henry Wheeler was home in Northfield, Minnesota taking leave from his medical studies at Michigan University. Sitting under an awning in front of his father’s store across from the bank, he watched three strangers ride into town. He saw them stop at the bank and throw their reins over the hitching posts.

But they did not tie the reins.

Other similar observations resulted in him and others being ready when the first shots were fired by the bad guys in the bank. When the incident was over, the Jesse James / Cole Younger gang would never ride together again.

Common townspeople foiled one of the most notorious gangs in U.S. history, because a college student noticed the reins weren’t tied.

Pray and Protect

Had young Henry Wheeler simply noticed that the reins were untied, and did nothing about it, the results would have been different. More people would have died in future bank robberies from the violent gang.

A new phrase has become common in recent years with law enforcement -- actionable intelligence. It’s not a new concept -- it’s just been recently well named. Henry Wheeler and the other citizens of Northfield, Minnesota were not the first ones to act on intelligence.

When Nehemiah was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, he heard that enemies were coming. He gave us a great model for ministry security (and acting on the intelligence gathered) when he wrote,

…we prayed to our God AND posted a guard day and night…

and

Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon with the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side…

Think About it

I am not suggesting that our religious establishments should resemble NORAD. I am not urging every usher to wear a Colt .45 or suggesting bomb scanners be installed in nurseries. I am suggesting we have a responsibility to be prepared. We must initiate appropriate security measures and not be complacent in the face of very real threats.

While I do not urge every usher to be armed, there is simply no factual argument that some of your protection team should not be properly trained and equipped (armed) to stop violence acts.

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