Monumental was incredible. My family has actually gone to that monument before and we always thought it was an amazing piece of history that most people had never even heard of! Now I want to go back to Massachusetts and see it again with a whole new perspective and understanding.
There is a reason we focus on the little group of Pilgrims as significant players in the making of our nation. There is a source for the liberty and prosperity that exists in this country. The Pilgrims knew it and the Founders knew it. It’s up to us to find out what they knew so we can preserve the freedoms we have.
I loved Monumental! Our first showing was completely sold out here and they opened up a second showing that didn't let out until after 12:30 am! Worth it! Thoughts below...
The account of the pilgrims first winter in America was really gripping. Somewhere in my life, and I believe in the nation as a whole, we have diminished the sacrifices that were made by our forefathers with a higher goal and purpose in mind at the inception of our country.
The pilgrims did not nearly die because they couldn’t plant crops--they strategically escaped their oppressor in the late fall, at a time when it was risky to sail. They left on a ship that was never meant to cross the Atlantic. The first captain they hired even betrayed them putting them right back into the hands of the English.
During those first blistery cold months, only seven pilgrims were strong enough to nurse the others who were ill. The captain of the Mayflower even urged them to board the ship and return to what seemed secure when spring came. Only 47 of 102 pilgrims survived the winter. They knew that God had called them to secure something much greater, and they committed their obedience no matter the cost.
Men, women and even children gave their lives for faith and freedom, but not the in the traditional way we think of when we say, “Freedom isn’t free.” It was in peace and love that our nation was established, and it is love that we must intentionally honor and restore our country on 7.28.
Jenna Milleson
Whenever I hear the full story of the sacrifices the pilgrims and our forefathers made, I can't help but shake my head and ask, "How do people not get it?"
After seeing the monument this documentary is based on, and how it shows the perfect outline of social order in it—my heart sank. As Americans, we have been given the answers in our history of how what we need to do to keep our country and it’s people free and virtuous, but as a whole, the country seems to be disregarding these truths.
When Kirk Cameron said (paraphrasing), "God always has a small group of people that are willing to follow Him," it rang out so true in my life.
When I look at goals of Mercury One, I have the urge to want to say, "We have to do bigger, reach more people NOW!" But, the realization sets in that it is better to do smaller things first. I need to make sure the team and I are sound in our faith, and be careful not to do big things that have no grounding in the will of God.
The motto of Mercury One, “one person, one family, one community at a time,” was reaffirmed for me in Monumental. The first two statues in the monument focused on changing yourself before anything else. That's the path that has been laid out for us since Biblical days. May we always look toward the reminders, the monuments that God has placed through history to teach us where to go and what to do.
