The Pilgrims and President Lincoln

“What is the valley you are walking through? What is the injustice you are facing? No matter your situation, there is reason to give God thanks.”

During America’s bloody civil war, while tens of thousands of Union and Confederate soldiers were dying on battlefields, President Abraham Lincoln looked through the haze of war and still saw the good in America. In October 1863 he drafted a proclamation that still affects us 161 years later. He etched out the divine blessings our young nation still had, even in the face of deathly division and the evils of slavery. He wrote, “No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.” Therefore, he stated, “I…invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.” (Image from forchristskingdom.com)

Finding good and giving thanks to God in the face of darkness, evil and anguish? How could Lincoln think in such a manner? American history shows it was not unique to him.

King James ruled Great Britian in the 1600s, leading the world’s second most powerful nation. They had an established state church, The Church of England. King James demanded loyalty to it and stomped out any who refused to conform. Therefore, non-conforming religious groups like the Pilgrims, were persecuted by their government for worshipping outside the state church. Many were imprisoned, fired from their jobs or denied employment, constantly watched by authorities and harassed at every turn. This led many families to flee their homeland, and eventually they learned about the New World across the seas, where they hoped they could find the freedom they so desperately sought.

A group of Pilgrims boarded The Mayflower to begin a treacherous voyage of faith. After two months on the seas, the 102 people sailed into Cape Cod Bay, arriving on the shores of what is now Provincetown, Massachusetts, in November 1620.

Before anyone disembarked the ship they drafted a governing document, The Mayflower Compact, that was rooted in their worship and service of the Lord God, “Having undertaken for the glory of God and advancement of the Christian faith, and the honor of our king and country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia, do by these presents [that is, by this legal document and charter] solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God and one of another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic…”

The Pilgrims faced dangers in their homeland and on the seas. And even though they had a strong faith in God, when they stepped off The Mayflower and onto the beaches of the New World, they faced dangers there too. Within a few months half of their group had died due to lack of food and shelter, disease, sickness and the unrelenting winter conditions.

However, the sovereign hand of their Lord God was sustaining them. Squanto, a native Indian, watched their battle to survive, and eventually came to their aide. Through his guidance and friendship, the Pilgrims learned how to hunt, fish and live off the land, which helped the group of 51 to survive.

The following year, in gratitude toward God for their survival, Governor William Bradford declared a Day of Thanksgiving should be held. Squanto and his tribe came, and a multi-day celebration took place.

The Pilgrims and President Lincoln called for a day of Thanksgiving toward God while in a season of great trial. The Bible says, “I will sing aloud of your steadfast love…you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.” (Psalm 59:16-17) What is the valley you are walking through? What is the injustice you are facing? No matter your situation, there is reason to give God thanks.

A prayer for you – Lord God, help us to see you in the darkness. Help us to see your goodness in the face of the storms that surround us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.