Dayspring的三年级班级, 由吉尔·马丁老师带领, studies at the feet of the towering National Monument to the Forefathers during their nearly weeklong study of the 朝圣者 in Plymouth.
The National Monument to the Forefathers is little-known statue that is set on a hilltop in Plymouth, 质量. At 81 feet tall, it is believed to be the largest freestanding granite monument in the world. The statue is a history lesson cast in symbols, a road map of sorts that can point us back to the foundational ideals of America.
The statue was carved as a tribute to the faith of the 朝圣者 who came to America aboard the Mayflower. 始建于1888年，1889年投入使用, the monument was crafted so we could forever trace back the roots of our nation’s founding. It faces Plymouth Harbor and gazes toward Plymouth, 英格兰, 这些朝圣者最初逃离的地方.
The statue atop is a towering 36-foot sculpture called 信仰. She points heavenward with her right hand and holds an open Bible in her left hand while one foot is set upon a replica of Plymouth Rock. She is designed to remind us of the 朝圣者’ faith and calls us to trust in God and His unfailing Word. The star in the center of her forehead symbolizes wisdom needed to live in this world.
Encircling the lower third of the statue are four smaller, seated figures that represent the Christian values and principles embraced and put forth by the 朝圣者. They are 道德, 法律, 教育, and 自由.
道德 holds the Ten Commandments in her left hand and the scroll of Revelation – the last book of the Bible – in her right. She is flanked by an Old Testament Prophet on one side and an Evangelist on the other.
法律, too, holds the Ten Commandments in his left hand, while his right hand is extended in mercy. Beneath the statue of 法律 are two statuettes representing Justice and Mercy. Justice has scales in her right hand, representing equal justice under the law for all. 她的左边有一把剑, which represents that authority is given by God to the civil government to provide justice. Mercy is a man standing with both arms at his side with his hands palms open and lifted up, depicting balance and that any punishment will be fair. 法律’s pedestal is a replica of the peace treaty between the 朝圣者 and the Wampanoag Indians, 持续了50多年.
教育 is represented by a woman wearing a victor’s wreath, showing she had accomplished the task of educating her children and was victorious in passing on the ideals of liberty to the next generation. She has an open Bible on her lap with a finger on the page as if giving instructions. The other statuette is an older man depicting a wise counsel of elders. At his feet are three objects: an open Bible, representing a lamp unto our feet and a guide to us; the Ten Commandments, God’s guidance for personal behavior and the basis for civil government; and a globe, 是大使命的象征, Jesus’ command to share the Gospel with the world. 教育’s pedestal has an engraved replica of the Mayflower Compact.
最后的雕像， 自由, is represented by a man in wearing the full armor of God. The helmet bears a rising, which denotes a new day of liberty dawning. There is a slain lion with a paw on 自由’s right shoulder. 他手上的锁链断了, 垂到他的左大腿和小腿, 铁链就在他脚下, showing that the shackles of tyranny are destroyed and tyranny is under submission.
For more information on the National Monument to the Forefathers, Dayspring Christian Academy recommends the film Monumental: In Search of America’s National Treasure，亚马逊上有售.
At Dayspring Christian Academy, students are taught 幸运的历史, the view that God is actively involved in every aspect of life, telling His story throughout history for His plans and purposes. 因此, students learn the rudiments of America’s Christian history, from the time of the 朝圣者 to its founding, 到目前为止. Thinking and reasoning from God’s Word enables students to identify Truth and stand firm in their faith. Dayspring students delve deeply into the timeline of Christian history and arrive at the question, 神在他的故事中将怎样使用我?“想要了解更多，请参观一下. 网上注册 或拨打717-285-2000联系卡罗尔·黑斯廷斯.