More Than Dates & Dead People – Part 2

That’s right. There was another ship, one that set out from the very same port in Southampton nearly four hundred years earlier and was bound for the same land. This ship also bore many who wished to find new hope in a new land, but there were some differences. Instead of Titanic’s two thousand passengers, this ship could handle barely over one hundred, and instead of elegant ballrooms and wide promenades, this one offered little space for its crew and passengers. In fact, this ship would have fit inside one of Titanic’s many spacious rooms. And far from unsinkable, she leaked profusely and stood a good chance of sinking during the dangerous Atlantic crossing. But the fate of the Mayflower was quite different. After sixty-six difficult days at sea and against the odds, she safely reached her destination. The journey of the Mayflower made headlines as well, but they were of a different nature than Titanic’s. They had voyaged, they wrote, “for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith” and to be “stepping stones of the light of Jesus” in this new world.

One ship was confidently hailed as the glory of a new age and man’s achievements. The other set out for the glory of God and the benefit of future generations. The first sank after three brief days of ease. The second arrived safely after sixty-six days of arduous labor and difficulty. Titanic’s name has come to be synonymous with an age of decadence, pride, and folly. The small band aboard the Mayflower helped found a nation.