Yet another Thanksgiving Day is upon us and we can easily recall the
history of this national holiday. The famous story of Thanksgiving is well
known, the story of survival of the pilgrims in our country after a perilous
ocean journey and their first winter in a new land. As many will remember
from history lessons taught in elementary school; the pilgrims were
persecuted people in England who sought a fresh start in a new land. Many
of them had fled England to the Netherlands and returned only to sail to a
new start in America. Upon landing on November 19, 1620 a pledge was
made that going forward on that date a celebration in Thanksgiving would
be held every year.
Another lesson behind the Thanksgiving story is one that is not as well-
known but just as important and occurred almost a decade later involving
Governor John Winthrop. In 1630, the success of the Massachusetts Bay
Colony was far from certain, indeed it appeared to be faltering. In the nine
years since the original settlers arrived, the population of the colony
hovered at just under three hundred people. Due to weather, illness, and
conflict, legitimate fear existed whether the colony would survive. In
contrast, the Virginia Colony known as Jamestown was thriving with a
population in excess of 1,500 Europeans and a growing economy. Enter
John Winthrop, who would arrive in 1630 and serve either as Governor or
Lieutenant Governor for the better part of the next twenty years. It was
under the leadership of Winthrop that the actual growth of the colony would
be achieved. In a sermon entitled “A Model of Christian Charity”,
Winthrop outlined a simple concept that would underlie the American
dream for the next three hundred years. Winthrop delivered the sermon in
England on March 21, 1630, on the deck of the ship Arbella as it was
setting sail carrying Winthrop and a group of settlers to the New World.
While many lessons were learned from that sermon, it was largely forgotten
until it was republished in 1839 by the Massachusetts Historical Society.
The sermon inspired a new generation of settlers who would make the
colony a success. The theme of the sermon was simple, quoting the
Gospel of Matthew Chapter 5:14, Winthrop exhorted the colonists to keep
faith. Winthrop quotes Jesus in the Gospel as saying “A city on a hill
cannot be hidden” in which Winthrop adds to the phrase, “the eyes of all
people are upon us”. Winthrop offers that in order to be successful we
need to do our part and keep faith with God. In short, he argued that the
reason the colony was not a success was because people had not kept
faith with God. The sermon known as “The City on a Hill” has been the
guiding light for a belief in American exceptionalism for nearly three
hundred years. It has been quoted by nearly every modern U.S. President
from Kennedy to Biden; Reagan adding that “America is that Shining City
on a Hill.”
What we can learn from this message is clear, we all must do our part to
keep faith in our own way, not just with God but with that which makes us a
representative republic. Earlier this month we concluded perhaps one of
the most hotly contested presidential elections in American history.
Enormous fears and protestations were raised by both sides on a national
level with vitriolic advertising, yet we have somehow survived the ordeal
with nearly 150 million people voting. As the dust settles, our republic is still
functioning and people did their part in keeping faith by voting and believing
that it mattered and was important. Once again people spoke and a
peaceful transition will take place in January. America, and its people kept
faith.
As this Thanksgiving Day dawns, I am reminded and thankful for all that
has come before our time. I am thankful for the heritage and tradition of our
republic. I am also grateful for the peaceful transition of power our country
and its citizens have again effectuated by keeping faith and voting. On a
lighter note I am perhaps even more grateful that we don’t have to endure
political advertising every time we turn on the television or visit a social
media site!
Personally, I am thankful for my family, my friends, and our beloved
Clarkstown community. I love our family traditions, which are all specific
and special. I am delighted that my three children will gather as a family,
home from graduate school and work, to spend a day together. I am
thankful for our military, first responders, and police who will also celebrate,
but stand in harm’s way to serve and protect us both at home and abroad.
Finally, I am thankful for all the gifts that a gracious God has bestowed
upon us as individuals and a nation. We have so many blessings that it is
only right and just that we collectively pause and give thanks.
My wish, in fact my prayer, is that this Thanksgiving will be a time of
renewal and gratitude for all of us, individually and as a community and
nation. Wishing all of our families and nation a happy and blessed
Thanksgiving!
