For all it’s ignominy, 2020 is a special year because it marks the 400th Anniversary of the Pilgrim’s journey to America.  Although they were not the first to come to America, the Pilgrims were the most important because they brought with them principles of faith and liberty that still protect and preserve our nation today. Unlike others who came to the New World in search of fortune, the Pilgrims came in search of freedom. In England it was illegal to hold worship services not sanctioned by the state church. But the Pilgrims believed men should be free to worship according to the dictates of their conscience, not the dictates of the state. That commitment drove them to risk the arduous 66 day journey across the Atlantic Ocean to the New World where their families would be free to worship God as they believed was right. 

When they finally arrived in America, before they even left the confines of the tiny Mayflower, they drew up a short document of self-government that has come to be known as the Mayflower Compact.  Embedded in that document were ideas of faith in God, government by consent, and the rule of law, among others. These ideas were like tiny seeds planted in the American soil. They grew up in the fertile ground of the New World and flourished among the colonies. Over a hundred years later, they reached maturity in the hands of the founders of the American Republic who set the same fundamental principles of self-government, faith, and liberty at the heart of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

Sadly, in our times these heroic men and women and their iconic hats have fallen out of favor in many circles. Too few reports have been written and too few speeches have been made to commemorate the 400th Anniversary of their heroic journey. But it should not be forgotten. Their legacy is a godly one of courage and faith, worthy of our honor and deepest gratitude. We should tell their story to our children and our grandchildren, especially as we celebrate Thanksgiving.

One of the few 400th Anniversary tributes that I’ve seen was written by Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas. It is a short but moving article that explains the enormous influence the humble Pilgrim’s had on shaping the great nation we are privileged to call our own. I highly recommend reading Senator Cotton’s article.

My own tribute to the Pilgrims and their heroic voyage comes by way of a poem I wrote several years ago, with one new verse added this year. May their legacy be revived and live long in the hearts of the America people.

The Pilgrim Legacy

They came from England, heroes all
Across the stormy sea
They set the sail and braved the gale
In search of liberty

September six, aboard Mayflower
All one-hundred-and-two
Bid farewell to Plymouth Old
On course for Plymouth New

In quarters lonely, dark and cramped
For sixty days they stayed
‘Til land was spied November nine
Then Pilgrims sang and prayed

Atlantic Fierce they’d overcome
But winter laid its claim
New England shoals felled fifty souls
By sickness, snow and rain

Yet God would not these brave abandon
So by providential hand
Sent Squanto and Chief Samoset
To help them work the land

Then year by year the colony grew
And thrived where they were free
To worship, work, and govern themselves
The Pilgrim legacy

So it was from that strong stock
Our nation came to be
Born in faith, preserved by grace
Sweet land of liberty