As a child, I wouldn’t say I was overly interested in history as a subject. But recently, I have been very curious about the history of my nation, America. I have become increasingly convinced of the importance of knowing our roots, both good and bad.
I grew up under the notion that the US was founded on Christian values and principles, but in the past couple of decades, that notion has been challenged, and I wanted to discover what the truth was.
When I read this book, The Light and the Glory,* many of my questions were answered. The authors set out on the same plight as I had- to discover the true origins of the country we now know as the USA.
I was concerned at first that the book would be overly biased, a glorifying of the conquests of white settlers, but I was happy to see that it was not. I feel the authors gave an honest and accurate (their research is impressive) account of the formation of our present-day country.
They include Columbus’ moral character failures, but also point to the fact that he truly felt destined to accomplish his task for God. They also discuss the demise of settlements like Jamestown and the poor treatment towards native tribes, but reveal the true intention of the colony at Plymouth Rock.
The true story of the Separatists that we have come to know as the Pilgrims is an account that is very hard to find nowadays, though it is very well-documented (the Pilgrims apparently journaled a lot).
I recently visited Plymouth Rock and was amazed to learn about the devotion this group of sojourners had to Jesus, their commitment to live their lives wholly for Him, and their courage to set sail in search of religious freedom.
The Light and the Glory* also goes into the reasons behind the Revolutionary War and the virtues of our founding fathers. The worldview at the time was still very much rooted in the Bible, many (if not most) of the men who agreed upon the values that shaped our nation honored God and founded their wisdom on Biblical principles such as freedom and justice and equality.
The breaking away from England became the only way that they could see to oppose the tyranny that England had imposed on the colonies (their words, not mine). At that time, the Church of England and the State of England were intimately linked together. In many ways, the operated as one. You can see why the first leaders of our nation were so adamant that there was to be a separation between the two in our fledgling country. The intention was not to limit people’s free expression of their faith, but to disallow the beliefs of the church to control the function of the government, or to force all of its citizens to believe and follow its customs.
Some predominantly arrogant, some predominantly good. Most predominantly courageous and committed (the accounts of the original American soldiers and their commitment to freedom are deeply inspiring)
Our history is not an unsoiled one. It is full of war and slavery and injustice. But there is still much good, and dare I say, much glory.
They say that those creating history cannot see it while they are in the midst of it. Many of the people who we mark as our country’s most noble leaders (men and women of all races) were simply doing the next thing that they knew to be right. And most of the heroes of our country drew their strength from the Lord.
Here’s some of the editorial reviews from the book (so that it’s not just my word for it!)
For those of us who, like the authors, have been exposed mostly to the secular accounts of this period of American history, the information presented becomes a revelation of very great magnitude. … This book is important. I would that every professing Christian read Gods Holy Bible and this book. There are, of a surety, better and more comprehensive histories than this, but I would recommend none more highly to introduce the student to our Christian American roots as pertains to our beginnings on these shores. — Christian Forum Book Review
Gives us new appreciation and inspiration to fulfill Gods plan for us as a nation. — Bill Bright
Reveals our true national heritage and inspires us to stay on Gods course as a nation. — Tim LaHaye
I would highly recommend that we all take a look at our true national heritage. Just as we should not leave out the truth of what made it ugly, we should also include the truth of what made it lovely.
You can check out the book on Amazon here. There is also a version available for young readers.*
*This post contains affiliate links. That means that I receive a small commission from Amazon (at no extra charge to you) for linking to their website. Thank-you!
