Some important birthdays this week. Our Sunday School Superintendent, Jane Bonavita has a big one today (Lordy, Lordy, Jane is...). Our Director of Music, Debbie Hunter has an even bigger one Thursday (Isn't it nifty, Deb's turning ...). Am I in trouble? Here is one that is safe: on Tuesday, it is Abraham Lincoln's. Had he lived, Mr. Lincoln would be 193 (and, no, I don't have a jingle for that one).

Lincoln has always fascinated me. In my view, he was our greatest President. Others feel the same. In fact, he is now seen as so important a figure that one contemporary historian notes that there are currently more books in the English language about Lincoln than about anyone else except Jesus and Shakespeare.(1)

It seems particularly appropriate in the midst of the current conflict to thin…