Amazing Grace, the movie, reminded me tonight as I watched it of the words in the Bible--there is nothing new under the sun. Man is filled with sin--the only person that can make a difference in this world is the only perfect One that ever lived. The throne of heaven was His yet He made Himself a servant for us all.
One of the greatest songs on earth--Amazing Grace, was birthed out of an amazement of one who was blind but now saw. He, John Newton was a sinner and he knew he was saved by Grace. He was a white man who learned the ugliness of man's sin nature which enslaved others. The slave trade that was prevalent in John Newton's day's was ended because of the work of God in a man's heart. It started with John Newton himself who finally saw how filthy he was to have been a part of it and shared on to others even to a man named William Wilberforce who himself was called by God to end it. It took a lot of perseverance and many defeats before the "just end" came as God intended.
See for yourself the movie, Amazing Grace, study the history behind it and search your own soul as to what moved the change where men saw difference that set them free from the ramblings of their time, their culture. In today's culture the racial strife is again rearing its ugly head in the Treyvon Martin case. Will calmness, right thinking reign? Only if the hearts of those who know their Lord and Savior truly want Him to be Lord of their hearts, their emotions. This is a time for great prayer, not for fear-mongering, not for re-building old walls of hatred, nor for creating more strife. Instead this is a great time to remember--the sacrifices of those in past, blacks and whites that we would all remember that we are "all" great sinners and Christ is our great Savior.
If we choose to follow Christ through these trying times--then race should not be held up as the real problem but rather we shall see the truth that the real problem is man's sin nature. The real enemy hasn't changed his tool since the Garden of Eden. It has worked so well and we must pray hard that America will by the grace of God see the truth to it all.
I recommend we remember where we came from, America, and not allow the lies of the enemy to win again. William Wilberforce published A Practical View of the Prevailing Religious System of Professed Christians in the Higher and Middle Classes of This Country Contrasted With Real Christianity--here's an excerpt:
Thou art the source and centre of all minds,
Their only point of rest, Eternal Word;
From thee departing, they are lost, and rove
At random, without honor, hope, or peace:
From thee is all that soothes the life of man;
His high endeavor, and his glad success;
His strength to suffer, and his will to serve.
But O! thou bounteous giver of all good!
Thou art of all thy gifts thyself the crown;
Give what thou canst, without thee we are poor,
And with thee rich, take what thou wilt away.
It is interesting to note that William Wilberforce was known as an evangelical Christian. In Neil Mammen's book--Jesus is Involved In Politics Too--we are reminded of what Jesus did in his days--he did care for us such that he dealt with the leaders of Israel on how they were to deal with those they led. Neil Mammen also states that two great Christian nations did not get rid of their national sin of slavery until Christians got involved in government
When William Wilberforce shared the truth over and over and over again in the seat of government--it broke the chain of bondage to that sin. Christians need to be involved politically and proclaim the truth that sets a nation free--it is part of extending God's love to multitudes that are suffering. Hope you'll watch the movie and remember ...for such a time as this.