Providence Today: Ben Franklin

Dr. Peter Lillback:
This is Providence Today. Welcome to Philadelphia, where we’re looking at some of the great places where faith and freedom have come together behind me is an extraordinary statue of Benjamin Franklin. As you look at it, you can see close up that it has images of keys. These keys were collected by children all throughout the region. They collected pennies as well to pay for it. And what’s amazing about it is that it is reminding us, if you will, of how the firefighters are constantly concerned to protect people. Sometimes, they after breakdown doors. Sometimes they are giving their lives. And so, it represents some of the fallen that have served as firefighters, since the fire company was started in 1736 by none other than Benjamin Franklin. One of his many inventions in creations is the fire company.

Dr. Peter Lillback:
But what is also significant, as we look at this, is that it tells us that he was the man who used the key on the kite to bring electricity down. It’s an interesting combination of creativity and safety. Benjamin Franklin then was a man who loved his community, who loved his neighbor, and used his creativity to master scientific issues. Those are some of the great benefits that come from having a basic Christian understanding. Benjamin Franklin believed that when Jesus said to love your neighbor, as Philadelphia’s very name means, he saw it in doing very practical things, like creating life insurance, like creating a fire company, like putting up some of the first lights on streets at night. Loving your neighbor is a great Christian value. And that was something that Benjamin Franklin put into work, because of his training and Christian thinking.

Dr. Peter Lillback:
As you look at your own life, one of the things that Franklin does for me that makes me ask, “What am I doing to care for my neighbor? Do I love my neighbor as I love myself?” In Philadelphia, it means a city where brothers love each other. And Benjamin Franklin, with all of his creativity, and his limitations, and words was a man of extraordinary love, where he loved his neighbor, using his creativity to bless people all the way to this day.

Dr. Peter Lillback:
If you have life insurance, if you appreciate fire companies, if you wear bifocals, if you have lightning rods on your building, thank Benjamin Franklin, who said he wanted to put the work of loving the neighbor together. He said, “Christianity is the most useful religion in the world.” He harnessed its love of neighbor to change the world.

Dr. Peter Lillback:
If you’re interested in learning more about the story of faith, and freedom, and the founding era here in Philadelphia, please find our free downloadable app, our Faith and Freedom Tour. You can share it with friends, and you can experience many of these great sites on your own, in your own comfortable spot, wherever you have your opportunity to download the story. And if you would also check out our website, we would be really pleased. Providenceforum.org, it’s filled with great information. It’ll be wonderful to share with family, and friends, fellow students in school. And so, I want to thank you for listening today to Providence Today.