May 19 in Christian History

The morning of May 19, 1780 began just like any other.

It wasn’t till 8 AM that people began to notice dark clouds rising from the west and settling over New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. By midday, New England was completely engulfed in darkness.

The deeply religious population of New England was convinced that it was the day of the coming of the Lord.

While some gazed into the sky in disbelief, others gathered with their families for candle-lit prayer meetings. Many congregated in churches to worship and confess their sins. Some sought out local preachers and demanded impromptu sermons or interpretations of the phenomenon.

Some had an opposite reaction. Thinking that this was their last day, people flocked to taverns where they drank themselves into a frenzy.

Members of the Connecticut Governor’s council called to abandon their meeting. Councilman Abraham Davenport opposed the proposal, saying “the day of judgment is either approaching, or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause of an adjournment; if it is, I choose to be found doing my duty.” The others agreed, and the meeting continued by candle light.

The scene was later immortalized by poet John Greenleaf Wittier in 1866:

I choose, for one, to meet Him face to face,--
No faithless servant frightened from my task,
But ready when the Lord of the harvest calls;
And therefore, with all reverence, I would say,
Let God do His work, we will see to ours.

The source of the uncanny blackness remained a mystery. May 19th, 1780 was referred to as the Dark Day, and made its mark on New England folk lore.

It was not until 2007 that the mystery was finally uncovered. Researches studying tree rings in southern Ontario found evidence of widespread forest fire in the area to the North West. This would have caused massive amounts of smoke to be blown into the upper atmosphere above New England.

The Dark Day lives on as a fascinating look into human nature. Abraham Davenport remains a shining example of how a Christian should live each day. One can never know when the end will come, but Christians should always do the work that God has given them for the glory God as if it were their last day.

Verse of the day: Luke 12:35-36
Keep your lamps lit. Be like men who are waiting for their master.