In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.

Benjamin Franklin wrote that oft-quoted line in a letter to his friend Jean-Baptiste Le Roy on November 13, 1789, exactly 236 years ago. Le Roy was a French physicist and fellow experimenter with electricity. Franklin was writing from Philadelphia to let him know that, despite revolution and political upheaval on both sides of the Atlantic, the new American Constitution was still holding firm. The “death and taxes” line was his wry assurance that, no matter how the world changed, some things remained constant.

Franklin, of course, gave us far more than witty one-liners. We remember him for kites and keys, bifocals and printing presses, stoves and lightning rods, not to mention his part in drafting the Declaration of Independence. He was a man who loved invention and discovery, yet he also understood the limits of human control.

This Sunday’s Gospel lesson (Luke 21:5-19) has Jesus speaking of another kind of certainty. While his companions admire the beauty of the Jerusalem Temple, he warns them that even the grandest stones will fall. But he doesn’t stop there. Instead of despair, Jesus offers perseverance and hope. “By your endurance,” he says, “you will gain your souls.”

So, while Franklin may have been right about death and taxes, Jesus reminds us of a third certainty: eternal life.

Join us for worship this Sunday, November 16, at 9:30 AM. The message will not be as gloomy as Franklin’s famous phrase. You’ll leave reminded that in Christ, even the certainties of this world are transformed by the promise of life everlasting.

Blessings,

Pastor Marc