TRUTH-TELLING ABOUT THANKSGIVING
AND EDUCATION
by Pastor Rick Sams
How many of you who know the biblical story of Joseph of
Genesis? How many of you know he has a Native American, Thanksgiving Day
counterpart? A little background info-mercial is needed.
In our
day it�s not politically correct or legal to bring the Bible into the public
school classroom. But many educators and activists are realizing that to
be truly educated one must have a working knowledge of the Bible.
Consider Martin Luther King Jr.�s references to the Promised Land and
Moses going up to the mountain top in his famous "I Have A Dream
speech, or Shakespeare�s allusion to Joseph�s being "murdered by his
brothers in Hamlet.
That so many are biblically illiterate bothered one
group so much they did something about it. They published a text that will
pass legal tests allowing public schools to teach the Bible as literature (The
Bible And Its Influence, The Bible Literacy Project, Fairfax VA).
In the
many stories of slavery that stain our nation�s history, Squanto�s is one of
them. English traders sailing into Plymouth, Massachusetts, preyed upon
the trusting Wampanoag Indians and captured them to sell as slaves in Spain.
But what man meant for evil, God meant for good (quoting Joseph, Genesis
50:20) in the life of a Native American boy named Squanto and our Pilgrim
forefathers.
Captured around 1608 Squanto was sold to a kindly Spanish
monk. There Squanto heard and embraced the Christian faith. Through
a series of "God incidences (not coincidences) Squanto ended up in England
in the employ of a man who sympathized with the burning desire in his heart to
go home. But the next ten years became God�s waiting room as it took that
long to find a ship that would fulfill his dream.
When he landed in America
his dream became a nightmare. An epidemic had wiped out Squanto's entire
village. "Where was God in all of this? What was He up to? Did
those questions cross Squanto�s mind?
A year later I�m sure this young
Christian began to see the pieces of the puzzle fitting together. A
shipload of English families settled in the same area where his tribe had
lived. He went to greet them…in English. To the Pilgrims that was a
miracle; but it was far from the last miracle they would see.
Many believe
the ONLY reason our Thanksgiving forefathers survived that first grueling winter
was Squanto. Governor William Bradford wrote in his diary: Squanto "became
a special instrument sent of God for [our] good…He showed [us] how to plant
[our] corn, where to take fish and to procure other commodities…and was also
[our] pilot to bring [us] to unknown places for [our] profit, and never left
[us] till he died."
Just before Squanto died of fever, he willed his
meager possessions to the Pilgrims and requested the Governor pray for him
"…that he might go to the Englishmen's God in heaven."
Most school and
secular books leave out any references to Squanto�s Christian faith and to God�s
work throughout this story, illustrating my opening arguments. A Chicago
Tribune editorial said that when public schools "decline to impart knowledge
about such an important subject [the Bible], they are not doing anything to
preserve the separation of church and state. They are merely failing their
students (Review, 10/15/05, p.
B3).
Let�s not fail to fully
educate our children out of some misguided attempt to make our schools
religion-free zones. That only makes their education incomplete and mocks
historical accuracy.
"You shall know the truth and the truth will set you
free…if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed… (John 8:32,
36)
(For an excellent children�s book on Squanto read Eric Metaxas
Squanto And The Miracle Of Thanksgiving)