The Real Pilgrims

It’s November, and I’ve been reading a lot of Pilgrim stories lately. When the kindergarteners come home at lunchtime, we sit by the fire and thumb through a few books before they tuck in for their naps. Squanto, Massasoit, William Bradford and others are coming to life from the pages of beautifully illustrated stories about the First Thanksgiving. Images of golden-orange pumpkins, fat turkeys and a thatch-roofed colony by the sea have sparked our imaginations and our family conversations. The stories have made me reflect again on the Pilgrims. Which Pilgrims? The real ones.

Abundance and Apathy: Remembering the Berlin Wall

Life is easy right now. Most of the people I know have a car (more than one), a phone (more than one), a T.V. (more than one), they often take vacations (more than one) and even own a home (some have more than one). 

I don’t personally know anyone going hungry, and even friends of mine who’ve experienced a “downsizing” in their job status are still able to make ends meet and live comfortably. Some would call our current standard of living “the abundant life.” And it is very abundant. However, we must be very careful that the “abundant” life doesn’t become the “apathetic” life. This week is a good time for a wake-up call.

My wake-up call came when my teenage son excitedly told me one day that he had seen a piece of the Berlin Wall.