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Blessed Be the Ties That Bind 
The Rock on which the Pilgrims disembarked is still shown [and] has
become an object of veneration in the United States. I have seen fragments
carefully preserved in several American cities. Does that not clearly
prove that man's power and greatness resides entirely in his soul? A few
poor souls trod for an instant on this rock, and it has become famous, it
is prized by a great nation; fragments are venerated, and tiny pieces
distributed far and wide. What has become of the doorsteps of a thousand
palaces? Who cares for them?
This passage, from Alexis de
Tocqueville's classic book, Democracy in America, was written in
1835. That was more than two centuries after the Pilgrims first arrived at
that cold and rocky spot on the Massachusetts coast in a dreary November,
1620. The place would become their Plymouth Bay Colony. Tocqueville's
words show us that even after so long a passage of time, Americans in the
1800s still cherished the stories of their country's beginnings. Now,
almost two hundred years after Tocqueville, the story of those early
settlers should move us still.
Why did they come? They tell us
plainly in the governing document they signed, the Mayflower Compact: "For
the Glory of God and the Advancement of the Christian faith, and the
honour of our King and Country." They wanted to worship the Lord in the
way their consciences and their understanding of Holy Scripture led them,
which included building a community in which they could daily live out
their faith in Jesus Christ. They called their dangerous effort "an errand
into the wilderness." Sadly, many of them died in that first terrible
year. Hunger and disease took their toll. But the Pilgrims are honored
because they did not give up.
When their little ship, the
Mayflower, returned to England, not one of their little band
abandoned the call. They called on God to sustain them. And they accepted
the timely help of the Wampanoag Indians, especially the English-speaking
Squanto. Without this help, they might all have died.
The story of
Plymouth Rock also reminds us of the Israelites in the Old Testament. They
would place standing stones in key places to help them remember how God
had led them, how He had watched over them. The Pilgrims identified most
strongly with the people of God in the Bible. There may never have been so
highly literate a community. All the Pilgrims eagerly learned to read
words so that they might read the Word.
This Thanksgiving is a good
time to remind our children of the many blessings that Our Lord has
showered upon us in the past year. Even in this time of war and of
deepening economic hardships, the harvests of our fields are still
abundant. Our people have been spared further terrorist attacks, and we
passed through a hotly contested election without the violence that too
often mars political conflict in less happy lands.
Most of all, we
give thanks for the joys of family life. When we gather around a holiday
table, the faith, love, and commitment of mothers and fathers, sisters and
brothers bind our family circle. Let us also remember to give thanks to
God for the brave young men and women who stand guard for us and our
blood-bought freedoms in distant lands.
And let us resolve in this
season to live as "living stones [who] are being built into a spiritual
house." (1 Peter 2:4-5)
God bless you and Happy Thanksgiving.
The Washington Update is taking its own family break and will
return to publication on Monday, December 1.
Tune in to Washington Watch Weekly
On this week's edition of Washington Watch Weekly: We're looking
ahead to some challenging times. But they pale in comparison to what the
Pilgrims faced when they landed in this country. Radio host, scholar and
National Director of Probe Ministries, Kerby Anderson, joins me to talk
about the first Thanksgiving. We'll also offer a Thanksgiving Quiz
developed by Probe Ministries to help you and your children find how much
you really know about the origin of this holiday. Go to www.frcradio.org
to listen online or find a radio station near you.
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