A City on a Hill

It was difficult to summarize Nathan O. Hatch's article to a statement using 25 or fewer words.  My partner and I came up with this:

Religious grass movements during the American Revolution heavily influenced American politics and became more important than the political world, largely because of enthusiastic young leaders.

After sharing our summaries, someone brought up the idea of a community being a "city on a hill".  The Puritan man named John Winthrop wrote about this idea in 1630 in his sermon called "A Model of Christian Charity".  This image is originally from the Bible, when Matthew tells his listeners, "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden" (Mathew 5:14).

This image can be seen in several different ways.  In the most concrete way, a city on an actual hill can become an important gathering space and landmark.  People will be watching from below, so those on the hill should behave well as to look good and represent their community well.  These people could also feel self-righteous since they get to live on a hill and those below do not.  Winthrop encouraged the Massachusetts Bay colonists to be a good example and to be proud of their unique and honorable position to do God's work and live a pious life.  I just love this image.  It also reminds me of how differently people can respond to an image of a palace.  It can be seen as a beautiful fortress, an architectural wonder, a symbol for corruption, a source of pride, motivation for hard work, etc.