In fourteen hundred ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue
He had three ships and left from Spain through sunshinem wind and rain,
He sailed by night he sailed by day; he used the stars to find his sway.
A compass also helped him know how to find the way to go.
Ninety sailors were on board; some men worked while others snored.
Then the workers went to sleep, and others watched the ocean deep
Day after day they looked for land; they dreamed of trees and rocks and sand.
October 12 their dream came true. You never saw a happier crew!

This old poem, authored by unknown, was recited as an annual occurrence in schools across America when I was a student. The thought of 90 men and three ships sailing uncharted waters always amazed me. They had no clue where they would end up, only that they were about to start an adventure that would open more of the world to those seeking a new way of life. In that time, we also heard mixed stories about the native Americans. Those who inherited their land from their ancestors, who probably discovered it as well. I appreciate the plight of these first people who worked and lived in the land before immigrants started pushing their way through its beautiful mountains, rivers, valleys and forests. We see a similar intrusion today as more and more people enter America illegally.

Columbus Day was initiated 300 years after the fact. The day was set to celebrate the explorer who opened the Americas to Spain. Columbus actually landed on a small island, Guanahani in the Bahamas. The dat also celebrated the Italian immigrants who settled much of the early Americas. In the 1800s the new citizens of America began a push across the country to set up towns and cities and so-called progress was set in motion. Soon it was believed that Columbus Day recognized the suffering inflicted on American Indians with that same westward expansion. In 1934, FDR declared Columbus as a National holiday.

As we undergo this same kind of change in our country, we naturally are offended by it. The holiday kind of dissolved with the times and eventually was replaced with the honoring and celebration of Indigenous people. Certainly those who first settled America should be recognized. We are after all a nation of many cultures and backgrounds. Amerca is truly a melting pot. Each nationality brings their own flavoring to what’s inside.

Dear God, help us look at our country as what it is and how it can become better. We know that every culture has something to offer to the mix. We are a country of many talents and abilities. With you, we become invincible. Like a cord of three strands, we are strong. We can celebrate this day and all days knowing that you are still the same as you were in the beginning. In Jesus name, we pray for unity and wisdom. Amen!