It is to one’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.
Proverbs 20:3
Author Denise Kiernan slams Elbridge Gerry (a founding father who held many political positions from Governor of MA to VP of the United States): If he received a performance evaluation it would have read “does not work well with others.” (Signing Their Lives Away, p. 34) She points out that he seemed to delight in being “contentious” often being inconsistent in his position on a matter to the point that he tried to have it both ways. Even his greatest legacy, a practice called “Gerrymandering” (look it up if you’ve forgotten your history) was an idea born of argument and antagonism.
We can learn two life lessons from this founding father however.
First, despite his personal failures, his intentions seemed to be in the right place. He understood the meaning of duty and honor. He loved his country and devoted his time and energy to it’s early success:
It is the duty of every citizen, though he may have but one day to live, to devote that day to the good of his country.
Second, how much greater might his own impact have been if his contentious spirit had been an agreeable, cooperative one instead. The Bible advises us to avoid petty quarrels and disagreements (1Timothy 6:4) It doesn’t mean we refuse to stand for principle; it means rather that the attitude we display is supremely important. Gerry could have benefited from a working knowledge of Solomon’s counsel.
(For more information on Gerry and the Signers of the Declaration of Independence see Denise Kiernan’s Signing Their Lives Away, 2009)
