At 6PM on Friday, the bells in the tower of the First Unitarian Society in Newton (FUUSN) pealed for 15 minutes, joining other places of worship across the country. All were resonating with the bells of Boston’s Old North Church, where two lanterns were hung exactly 250 years before to signal Paul Revere and others to warn Minutemen of the British troops approaching “by sea” (across the Charles River) on their way to what became the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the start of the American Revolution.
Friday’s nationwide event was inspired by the congregation of Boston’s Old North Church to not only commemorate events of 250 years ago but also a stand against modern-day tyranny.
FUUSN’s co-ministers, Rev. Dr. Debra Haffner and Rev. Joel Miller, invited the congregation to line the sidewalk in front of the church and bring signs and bells to draw attention the continuous need to protect democracy and stand against tyranny. While about 50 were expected, almost 100 came.
For the event, FUUSN’s tower bells played America (My Country, ‘Tis of Thee), the lyrics for which were written in Newton by Samuel Francis Smith while attending Andover Theological Seminary.
