Miles Standish had been an English mercenary who fought with the Dutch in the war between the Spaniards and Holland (circa 1580 to 1610). (I don’t remember, but It’s one of those wars that was named for the number of years required to fight it.) He was captured by the Spaniards and sold into slavery. He was purchased by a Muslim gent. (No surprise.)
However, after a short period of, doubtless, faithful service, master and slave fell into a labor dispute, which resulted in the death of the Muslim master and the escape of Standish. He wound up back in England and was eventually retained by the folks we call the Pilgrims and he went along for the ride. He provided invaluable services. He was the “muscle.” I don’t know if Captain Standish shared the Faith of his employers, but he did share some wild adventures with them. Funny how God takes an invisible hand in the affairs of His people.
About the author, Steve Bowers: Steve Bowers grew up on a farm in Indiana, attended Indiana University and went into the construction business. While working on a construction project at a law school he was appalled at how lawyers could screw stuff up on a simple building project. Thinking he could do better, Steve went to law school. He’s pretty naive. View all articles by Steve Bowers
