Did the Pilgrims Shelter Their Children?

Nearly 400 years ago, a community of English families defied fear, suffering, death, and the Atlantic Ocean to create a home among violent tribes in a wild land. Their conviction mirrors very much the same that birthed the modern homeschool movement—mainly concern for their children’s souls.

Like many homeschoolers, the Pilgrims were unwilling for worldly influences to steal the hearts of their youth. But was fear their motivation for relocating? As a homeschool graduate, I grew up witnessing well-intentioned parents retreat in panic from the world. Like Lot fleeing Sodom, they fled to our rural communities frantic for a haven far from all who weren’t like-minded. Sadly, many of these children would run from their parents’ fences of fear into the same evils from which they had been sheltered. Retreat is not attractive; parents must have greater reason than self-preservation if their children are going to embrace the faith.

And that greater reason is what spurred the Pilgrims to sacrifice all on an altar of hope unseen. Listing what motivated his people to cross the Atlantic, William Bradford wrote,

“Last and not least, they cherished a great hope and inward zeal of laying good foundations, or at least of making some way towards it, for the propagation and advance of the gospel of the kingdom of Christ in the remote parts of the world, even though they should be but stepping stones to others in the performance of so great a work.” (William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, San Antonio, TX: The Vision Forum, 2009, pg. 21)

The “cherished hope” of our Forefathers was furthering the gospel. Far from being in retreat, these experienced soldiers of Christ saw Satan picking off their reinforcements one by one. They knew the world was not their friend, but they also never lost their compassion for it. Their entire lives had been formed around the gospel of liberty and the love of God compelled them to risk all so “the remote parts of the world” might know Him.

Friends, the most protective shield we can give our children against the devil is a zeal to see him dethroned from the hearts of men and women. The Pilgrims did not use the gospel as a fence to keep the world separated from their children. Rather, their goal was to guard their children so they could train up a new generation of missionaries. Their sheltering was like support stakes around a sapling. Stakes protect the sapling until it has matured into a tree. Stakes prepare the tree for when it must withstand the gusts, ice, and tornado winds alone. Our vision in guarding our children must always be so they can withstand temptation without us.

So did the Pilgrims shelter their children? Yes, but only if by shelter we mean their mission was to train up courageous soldiers instead of fearful refugees. So it is with us. The world is not our playground, but it is the training ground where the next runners and contenders for the faith are trained.

Kenzi Knapp is a follower of Christ, homeschool graduate and student of history. A fourth generation Missourian she enjoys writing about daily life enrolled in Gods great course of faith and His story throughout the ages at her blog, Honey Rock Hills.