Servant of Others - The Legacy Endures

This episode covers the early days of the American Red Cross, its rapid development into a peace time humanitarian organization, including selected events at which Clara and the Red Cross were essential first responders, Clara’s retirement and her return to the Lord in 1912.

Transcript

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Welcome to the sixth and final episode of season three of Guided by Faith, Servant of Others, featuring the inspirational life and accomplishments of Clara Barton. This episode covers the early days of the American Red Cross, its rapid development into a peacetime humanitarian organization, including selected events at which Clara and the Red Cross were essential first responders. Clara's retirement and a return to the Lord in 1912. Thank you for accepting this invitation to listen. Showing no disrespect to the ongoing process of the United States signing the international treaty, which, as we indicated in the previous episode, did not occur until March 1882, on August 25, 1881, just two and a half months after President Garfield had acknowledged the existence of the Society of the Red Cross in America, Clara Barton organized the first local society of the American Red Cross in Dansville, New York. Only two weeks after the Dansville Society was established, Clara Barton became aware of what is now referred to as the Great Thumb Fire, which occurred in the Thumb region of Michigan on September 5th through 7th, 1881. This fire is still today one of the most devastating forest fires in U.S. history, in which one million acres burned, over 2,000 buildings were destroyed, and almost 300 lives were lost. Even though to this point the purpose of the Red Cross, pursuant to the International Treaty, was to provide relief during the times of war, Clara Barton motivated to provide the much needed support to the people affected by this great catastrophe. Funds, food, supplies, and materials were promptly obtained, principally from the residents of Dansville, Syracuse, and Rochester, New York, simply at the request of Clara Barton. With the assistance of the County Clerk of Livingston County, New York, Clara facilitated the transportation of the much needed support to Michigan, assembled the local volunteers necessary to respond, and organized the distribution of materials to those in need. Clara remained in Michigan until the risks to the people had subsided, but continued to manage the delivery of support materials until she was informed by the local relief teams that no more was needed. With this experience, the framework of the American Red Cross as a peacetime humanitarian organization was born. Less than six months later, and still prior to the signing of the international treaty by the United States, the Mississippi River flood of 1882 occurred when spring storms caused the Ohio River to rise rapidly and flow into the Mississippi River, resulting in substantial devastation from Memphis to New Orleans. Once again, Clara and her local Red Cross Society were at the scene to provide relief and support. What is notable about this response effort is that it quickly gave rise to additional Red Cross societies, including Memphis, Vicksburg, and New Orleans. Even without a signed treaty, the Red Cross banner was now strongly present in America, and the relief efforts were granted national appeal. Clara Barton's reflection upon these catastrophes and the ability to respond was not focused on the organizational complexity, the depth and breadth of the support provided, or the continuing realization of her vision, but on how it was not necessary to build an altar on which to make your sacrifice, because, as she noted, God will Himself provide the sacrifice. As we know, the entire life of Christ represents the most complete sacrifice. In what is likely the most often cited scripture passage, John 3.16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but shall have eternal life. The fact that God himself will provide the sacrifice is acknowledged in Genesis 22, verse 14. When following the exchange with God on Moriah, in which Abraham demonstrated his willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac, it is said, Abraham called that place the Lord will provide. And to this date it is said, on the mountain of the Lord it will be provided. With her health restored, the international treaty signed, and the vision of the Red Cross now more fully embraced by the American people, Clara was prepared to settle into a more managed life, one that would keep her connected to the Red Cross and its humanitarian efforts, while allowing her to pursue other interests as they arose. In early 1883, Clara was contacted by the governor of Massachusetts, Benjamin F. Butler, who made the request of Clara to fill the position of the superintendent of the Women's Reform Prison of Massachusetts. This invitation, which Barton eventually accepted after four months of consideration, was not made because of any knowledge she had of managing a prison, but because of her reputation as a woman of discipline and organization, and mostly because of her compassion for others. Although Clara only occupied the position of superintendent for six months, during that time she made this enlightened observation as to the inmates. They are more weak than wicked, often more sinned against than sinning. Barton fully further demonstrated her compassion for the women with whom she was entrusted by offering this prayer for those who completed their time in prison. O God, strengthen her weakness. Guard her from the temptations and the snares leading her down to death, of thy virtuous and free outside of these prison walls. Clara Barton successfully changed the atmosphere of the prison from an institution of punishment to one of instruction and character building. This recalls her upbringing in the universalist church that did not subscribe to the concept of eternal damnation, but rather believed, as Christ did, in restorative justice. We recall the passage set forth in John 8, verse 11, in which Jesus encounters the woman accused of adultery and about to be stoned. Then neither do I condemn you, Jesus declared. Go now and leave your life of sin. Pope Francis offered this simple but powerful statement. Who am I to judge? Many of us are faced in our daily lives with the challenge of not being judgmental of others. Whether it is someone's actions, appearance, or social standing, how are we able to avoid judgment? Certainly we have all been judged at some point, sometimes fairly and other times not. In reflecting upon those times when the judgment was fair, whether favorable or not, we likely had a sense of gratitude at some point toward the one who made the judgment. When we believed the judgment was not fair, it is more likely our emotion was one of mistreatment. Simply put, it is likely best to leave judgment in the hands of God. From 1881 to 1904, the United States was not engaged in many wars save the Spanish-American War in 1898. During that period, the focus of the American Red Cross was principally to provide support to the victims of catastrophes within the United States and in certain situations, conflicts between foreign nations. As the American Red Cross became more widely accepted and more local societies emerged, the responsiveness in the event of catastrophes became more effective and more defined. Although more of the support, both in terms of contributions and execution was being provided by the local societies, Clara Barton maintained a notable presence, not only in the sense of the national organization, but at the scene of the events. Like her work during the Civil War, Clara continued to emphasize timely and organized delivery of on-site support, whether in terms of medical services, food, supplies, or in many cases, funding to support the post-catastrophe recovery. This work will not cover the long list of the then set which the American Red Cross and in most instances Clara Barton provided on-site support between 1881 and 1904. However, it is important to note that during that time, the flag of the American Red Cross flew at 16 natural disasters within the United States, the Spanish-American War, and four foreign events requiring the assistance of the American Red Cross. One catastrophe of note is the Johnstown, Pennsylvania flood of 1898. Upon steady May rainfall for many rainy days, a dam over the little Condama River failed, resulting in the release of a wall of water over 30 feet high into the valley in which most of the population of Johnstown resided. The depth of the water and the pace at which it flowed left a path of destruction that was estimated at the time to be over 5,000 fatalities and $12 million in property damage. Because of the magnitude of the catastrophe and the human and capital challenges, the relief effort by the American Red Cross, including the flow of charitable support, lasted over five months. As Johnstown began to truly recover from the disaster, Clara Barton made the realization that as important as it was to get into the scene as promptly as possible, it was equally important not to overstay the time necessary to provide the required charity. The approach of being mindful of the time in which the victims were better served by their return to self-sufficiency than by the continued receipt of charity became and still is today a guiding principle of the American Red Cross. From what is written about the Johnstown flood, the conclusion of the work done by the American Red Cross was principally in the interest of returning the community to normalcy, including the creation of jobs to rebuild the city and the effectiveness of local relationships necessary to enable the members of the community to rebuild their lives. The words of Paul in his letter to the Galatians provide a potential additional basis for Clara's insights. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. However, for each one should carry his own load. Galatians 6, verses 2 and 5. Clara Barton certainly carried the burden of many others. It is unlikely the number of those she helped throughout her active life will ever be matched by any one person. When Clara Barton retired on June 16, 1904, pursuant to the changing expectations of those entrusted with the leadership of the American Red Cross, Clara Barton had been justifiably recognized in Europe and America for her many accomplishments. Still, in the late stages of her career, Clara felt the accolades to be less relevant than the opportunities she was granted and the observations made by others as to the nature of her work. These three phrases exemplify the work of Clara Barton. Let one's work be that of angels. Still, it will not satisfy. She has simply done her duty as she saw it and received her pay, the consciousness of a duty performed to the best of her ability, and thus leaving a wholesome stimulus on the part of the beneficiaries to help not only themselves individually, but each other. Much has already been said about Clara Barton, her work, and how her faith influenced her every action from the early days in Oxford, Massachusetts, to her passing on April 16, 1912. My personal reflection is one of inspiration in the name of Christ. We are called to live our life in the name of Christ and according to the gospel. No one person has accomplished this during their time and through the legacy they have left behind more than Clara Barton. This description offered by her biographer, William Eliezer Barton, offers worthy goals for all of us to pursue. A self-forgetful purpose, a serene spirit, and upholding faith. We have ended each of the previous episodes of Guided by Faith, Servant of Others, with a prayer attributable to a prominent American woman of faith. The works of each of those women have been remarkable and have truly reflected a commitment to God. To some degree, each of these women was called by the Holy Spirit to act in the manner set forth by the most holy woman to have ever lived, Mary, the Mother of God. Let us end this season of Guided by Faith with that prayer offered by Mary in accepting God's call. The Magnificat. My soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior. For he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed. For the mighty one has done great things for me, holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm. He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has lifted up the humble. Amen.