In 1630, as the Arbella was sailing to the New World with a ship full of Puritans who would settle the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Governor John Winthrop preached one of the most famous sermons ever given called, “A Model of Christian Charity.” In this sermon he preached that the eyes of the world would be upon these new colonies, and that this land and new nation represented an opportunity to build a nation patterned after Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount. It could be a “city upon a hill” that could not be hidden. By this he meant that the people would develop a community characterized by deeds of mercy and compassion, as Jesus had said, “Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good [or beautiful] deeds and give glory to your father who is in heaven.”
You may remember that both President Kennedy and President Reagan drew from this Winthrop’s sermon and this same idea, describing their vision for America – that it might be the city upon a hill, known for our compassion and mercy and modeling for the world what a just nation should be.
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