by Julianne Scopa
We, as Americans, have much to be thankful for. Unfortunately, we take much of our daily lives and activities for granted, when, in fact, things are going much better for us than for the pilgrims we associate with Thanksgiving.
We all know the story—men and women dressed soberly in black and white, complete with buckles, board a ship called the Mayflower in hope of going to a new land of religious freedom. They land at what is now known as Plymouth Rock, and after enduring a hard first winter, feast upon a bountiful harvest. Most of this is true (though they may have dressed differently, since buckles weren’t in fashion then, and it was common to only wear black and white on Sundays), but there is far more to the story than many may realize.
There weren’t just Christian pilgrims on the Mayflower, but others, who came to be known as the “Strangers”. They were coming to America for reasons other than religious freedom. The two groups disagreed on many things during their long trip. When they reached land, though, they came up with an agreement, called the Mayflower Compact, which unified them.
The group was not prepared for their first winter in North America; of the 110 of them that had come, fewer than 50 survived the harrowing weather. They also didn’t know how to survive off of the land, and perhaps wouldn’t have, had not the Patuxets, a peaceful group of Native Americans, come to their aid. The Indians taught the pilgrims how to tap the maple trees for sap, how to plant corn, showed them which plants were poisonous, and many other skills.
As Americans sat eating dinner this Thanksgiving, they should have been very thankful that nearly half of Americans are not dying every winter, and that they’ve never known the meaning of truly being hungry. Beyond that, we truly do have a freedom here in America that is like no other country. Granted, Americans disagree upon many things, but we are free to do so. Christians in particular do not realize what a privilege it is to be able to worship God without breaking the law. So often we forget our brothers and sisters in other countries, who risk their lives every day, by living for Jesus. But yet, they are more passionate about their Christianity; they don’t shirk their duties as Christians, even under penalty of torture or death.
Why don’t the Christians of the United States of America have such a passion for their God? Why do we, who don’t have to be afraid of being arrested and killed for our beliefs, still have such a hard time admitting to others that we are Christians; why would we even think of it as “admitting”, when it is no crime? We fear rejection by our peers, while Christians on the other side of the world are living completely for Jesus when they face much more than just rejection.
Isn’t it time that America’s Christians actually start living like Christians? This is not to say that all of America’s Christians are lukewarm or completely cold. How many, though, actually live out their faith on a day to day basis, with passion? And what would happen to our country if they all did? Something amazing: “If My people who are called by My Name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and forgive their sins and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Let’s pray for the healing of America.
Sources:
http://www.holidays.net/thanksgiving/pilgrims.htm
New King James Bible
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