I had difficulty finding connections between the Puritan society and ours today because I have not lived in America for almost a year and I received maybe 5% of what I would normally hear about on the news when I was in Japan; most of it Obamafever or the sort (they really like him). In spite of that, there are connections.
It seems that nothing has changed in many respects. First is that the Protestants still hate the Catholics still hate the Puritans still hate the heathens etc. etc. even though they all preach the same thing. Especially about the "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many." (I Corinthians 12:13-14) part. Today the innumerable number of sects and denominations in Christianity keep growing. "Indivisible under God" doesn't make sense anymore; we're only "United" in geography.
But Vowell gives us a little hope by showing her readers a personal example of unity: during the aftermath of the 9-11 attacks. "We were all members of the same body, breathing the cremated lungs of the dead and hoping to clean the teeth of the living." (p. 53) In times of hardship (crossing the Atlantic and attempting to survive in the New World vs. dealing with terrorism) we seem to work best as team players. In my opinion, it is the only time a large amount of people can unite to try and make things better. Because if there isn't a problem, then there's no point in putting in the extra effort. Humans are naturally a selfish creature, with the ability to only think for themselves.
The Massachusetts Bay Puritans and Modern Day Americans have the ability to unite, and we also have the ability to be united against our enemies, the same ones about whom Jesus says, "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;" (Matthew 5:44). See multiple references (pp.25, 46, 57, etc.) to the Native Americans, and the Al Qaeda, respectively. Although war and killing is a necessary evil, or the necessary evil for population control, it is obvious to see that nobody here is following Jesus' command. Why? Why is this, such a simple command, so difficult to follow? Why are humans such adverse people? We do see the pacifists and peaceful protesters in people like Martin Luther King Jr., who fought against such adversity. But why not everyone?
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
John Winthrop's message to the Puritans
John Winthrop was faced with one of the most challenging commissions possibly of all mankind: he was to lead a large group of Puritans into a little-known and dangerous new world. His thesis would hopefully help form the future America into a great God-loving country.
His message was for the purpose of creating a community of Christians that worked together as one body: "Ye are the body of Christ and members of their part." (p.6) He explained that through love and brotherly support for all members of the body this community could be achieved. He said that the bond which held the members of the body together is love, which "will necessarily infuse into each part [of the body] a native desire and endeavor, to strengthen, defend, preserve and comfort the other." (p.6) This message was a "commission" which God had given the Puritans to set an example for the New World Christians.
Reflection:
I'll begin by saying that everything Winthrop says is old stuff; almost all of it is from the Bible. What he teaches must have been known morals at the time. What may have been a new concept (or actually a concept to be reintroduced: see the answer to the community of peril question, p.4) was that of communism. This was the main point and bulk of the address. In order to understand that we need to erase the common, present-day concept of communism, because this is way before the time of Marx and the Communist Manifesto. Winthrop explains it using different terms. He calls the community the body and the glue that keeps everyone together is love. Specifically love for a deity and love for one's neighbors and brothers. "Bear ye one another's burden's and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2, p.6)
I think it may be so that only through the love (or fear) of a deity could communism be a probable form of government. Instead of a man as a totalitarian leader, an omniscient god to rule, because "by his spirit and love knits all these parts to himself and each to other, it is become the most perfect and best proportioned body in the world." (p.5) In other words, through the unifying power of Christ the Puritans could create an infallible community of God.
He goes on in detail about this love, and how to express it towards others. "As in this duty of love, we must love brotherly without dissimulation, we must love one another with a pure heart fervently. We must bear one another's burdens. We must not look only on our own things, but also on the things of our brethren." (p.9) This twofold command was what I think Winthrop defined as charity. First to love without false pretense; second to help one's brothers and sisters. It's good, in theory; just like his communism. But these ideas have been floating around for centuries and haven't become widely accepted among the majority of the population. They are not easy concepts to understand, and harder to follow. Winthrop said it himself: "Man is born with this principle in him to love and seek himself only." (pp.6-7) It is not in human nature to think about others, so Winthrop (and many others in the past) tried to show that through Christ a new principle can come forth, one to love God and one's brother (p.7). Thus one can look after and be charitable to said brother.
As I begin to read The Wordy Shipmates, I hope to see how these words affected the development of the Puritans in the New World. Will they follow or forget, as it is so easy to do so, the words of John Winthrop? Will Winthrop's idea of communism be accepted by the settlers? Will they, with bonds of love be charitable to their brethren?
His message was for the purpose of creating a community of Christians that worked together as one body: "Ye are the body of Christ and members of their part." (p.6) He explained that through love and brotherly support for all members of the body this community could be achieved. He said that the bond which held the members of the body together is love, which "will necessarily infuse into each part [of the body] a native desire and endeavor, to strengthen, defend, preserve and comfort the other." (p.6) This message was a "commission" which God had given the Puritans to set an example for the New World Christians.
Reflection:
I'll begin by saying that everything Winthrop says is old stuff; almost all of it is from the Bible. What he teaches must have been known morals at the time. What may have been a new concept (or actually a concept to be reintroduced: see the answer to the community of peril question, p.4) was that of communism. This was the main point and bulk of the address. In order to understand that we need to erase the common, present-day concept of communism, because this is way before the time of Marx and the Communist Manifesto. Winthrop explains it using different terms. He calls the community the body and the glue that keeps everyone together is love. Specifically love for a deity and love for one's neighbors and brothers. "Bear ye one another's burden's and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2, p.6)
I think it may be so that only through the love (or fear) of a deity could communism be a probable form of government. Instead of a man as a totalitarian leader, an omniscient god to rule, because "by his spirit and love knits all these parts to himself and each to other, it is become the most perfect and best proportioned body in the world." (p.5) In other words, through the unifying power of Christ the Puritans could create an infallible community of God.
He goes on in detail about this love, and how to express it towards others. "As in this duty of love, we must love brotherly without dissimulation, we must love one another with a pure heart fervently. We must bear one another's burdens. We must not look only on our own things, but also on the things of our brethren." (p.9) This twofold command was what I think Winthrop defined as charity. First to love without false pretense; second to help one's brothers and sisters. It's good, in theory; just like his communism. But these ideas have been floating around for centuries and haven't become widely accepted among the majority of the population. They are not easy concepts to understand, and harder to follow. Winthrop said it himself: "Man is born with this principle in him to love and seek himself only." (pp.6-7) It is not in human nature to think about others, so Winthrop (and many others in the past) tried to show that through Christ a new principle can come forth, one to love God and one's brother (p.7). Thus one can look after and be charitable to said brother.
As I begin to read The Wordy Shipmates, I hope to see how these words affected the development of the Puritans in the New World. Will they follow or forget, as it is so easy to do so, the words of John Winthrop? Will Winthrop's idea of communism be accepted by the settlers? Will they, with bonds of love be charitable to their brethren?
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