The Parsonal Computer

Supported by the Cross

Fort McHenry Flag Pole Anchor

Francis Scott Key wrote “The Star Spangled Banner” in 1814. The original flag measured 42 by 30 feet. It was the immense size of the flag that allowed Key to see it from his position 10 miles out to sea, following a night of gunfire.

How could that large a flag fly on a pole 189 feet in the air. The answer is on display at Fort McHenry on Baltimore’s inner harbor. There, in one of the barracks, are two oak timbers, 8 foot by 8 foot, joined as a cross.
National Park Service personnel discovered this cross-shaped support near the entrance to Fort McHenry in 1958, buried nine feet below ground. Not only did the cross help rangers locate the original site from which the star spangled banner flew, but it answered the mystery of how such a large flag could fly in stormy weather without snapping the pole. This unseen wooden cross provided a firm foundation for the symbol of our national freedom.

In our lives we struggle with storms and battles. We wonder if we can remain standing in the midst of it all. The answer lies in the foundation. Just as the cross foundation for the flagpole at Fort McHenry enabled the flag to stand firm. Our lives can withstand the turmoil and struggles of life if we have a strong foundation.
When we have the cross of Christ deep in our hearts, we can stand. When we make the cross more than an ornament for our faith, but the foundation, we can not only survive but prevail in our lives.

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ”
1 Corinthians 1:18 (NIV)