John Winthrop made the most important speech of his life on board the Arbella, in 1630. He and the rest of the puritans that were on that ship were traveling to New England to start anew. They didn't like the way religion was being abused, and decided to build their own community where they could keep their religion "in check." At the moment, no one had listened to Winthrop's speech. Now, hundreds of years later, scholars look back and figure out that what he was saying was powerful. It was decided that people should listen to what he had to say. Winthrop had great advice on keeping the community together and making sure nothing would dismantle what they came to New England to build. Acting like a scholar, there are a couple of pieces in his speech that I want to discuss.
Withrops first piece in the speech was to tell the people that there should be a balance in life between the social standings, "...some must be rich, some poor, some high and eminent in power and dignity; others mean and in submission." (pg. 1). Hearing someone speak like that would cause the listener to believe that Withrop wasn't the nicest person. Those words sound cruel, as if some people are just meant to be working for someone. I on the other hand, believe that Withrop didn't mean it like that at all. He believed that if there were people in different social classes, then everyone might get along better for they would all need each other. "Thirdly, that every man might have need of others, and from hence they might be all knit more nearly together in the bonds of brotherly affection." (pg. 2). Winthrop spoke for awhile on different things that a person could do to act more brotherly to someone. He talked about giving whatever was needed to someone while also keeping the respect of that person if they could pay back the loan. "He who shutteth his ears from hearing the cry of the poor, he shall cry and shall not be heard." (pg. 5). Winthrop wanted everyone to be in need of each other and to share as one, so that they would be closer. If they were close then they would never break apart, causing the goal that they were trying to reach to become unattainable. Is that so wrong to ask?
A second point that Withrop wanted people to listen to was an analogy about the Church of Christ acting as one body. "The several parts of his body considered a part before they were united, were as disproportionate and as much disordering as so many contrary qualities or elements, but when Christ comes, and by his spirit and love knits all these parts to himself and each to other, it is become the most perfect and best proportioned body in the world (Eph. 4:15-16)." (pg. 5). What Winthrop is saying as how I interpret it, is that first, you get a whole bunch of different people (the limbs) together. Next, you figure out that if you put all of the people togther is makes a community (the body). Now, the body is a little disfigured and doesn't look right. But, if you get Christ into the body then he adds the soul. This ties every piece of the body together, and makes it whole and perfect. He also goes on to speak about sharing the emotions between people, which is what a body would do. This is a great analogy that Winthrop puts together. That is exactly what we need to do with our economic and climate change crisises. We all need to band together as one body, and figure it out. If people are in for themselves instead of the whole, then nothing will be fixed.
Thirdly, Whithrop makes a great show about how Love is the main ingredient of survival for these puritans. He believes that love is in you from the day you are born and that you should express it. He states that love is both inward and outward which is ingenius. You have to love your brother, but first you need to love yourself. This makes sense. People who are going into therapy sessions today are learning this. If you don't love or appreciate yourself you won't do the same for someone else. Winthrop states in his section on love that, "It never gives, but it always recieves with advantage." (pg. 7). You cannot just have someone's love, you have to earn it.
Finally, there is Winthrop's most famous part of his speech, the picture of his communtiy being as a "city upon a hill". This picture was used by more than one preseident in talking about America. " For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of the people are upon us. So that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and a by-word through the world." (pg. 10). This quote can be interpreted in different ways. The first way is saying how Withrop has a brillant way of expressing what he wants his community to be like. He wants a "perfect" city in which everyone does great things so God looks down on them and is proud. This is a good goal to strive for. The other way it can be interpreted is that the second half of the quote could be seen as a threat. It isn't an unrealistic threat, since Winthrop truly believes that this is what will happen if they fail, and putting it into the speech will hopefully make any dreamers imagining an easy life snap out of it. This isn't easy. It's going to take hard work and people need to be ready for it. They are trying something new and if they fail, life is over.
It is sad to know that no one listened to Withrop's speech. His wisdom over these points above can be related to any time period. If people take this advice and try to follow what he said the world might become a better place. If it spread wide and strong enough there could be no more violence, and everyone could just get along. Winthrop wanted his community to band together in unity, love eachother, worship God, and feel great about doing all of it. In his speech, John Winthrop could of put it the way Bob Marley did, "Let's get togther and feel all right."
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