Mon, Oct 04 2010

I wonder how many Christians recognize the name William Wilberforce? William Wilberforce was a member of the British parliament at the age of twenty one. He was destined for greatness. Then on December 2, 1785, he found himself convicted by the error of his political party’s lifestyle and was converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. At this moment Wilberforce was faced with an important decision, and he had to answer this question: Had God saved him just so he could spend eternity in heaven, or was he also saved to bring God’s light to the world around him?

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Wilberforce was determined to speak for God regarding the wicked practice of human slavery. He chose not to give up his political office, but instead he decided to spend whatever political influence he could gather to accomplish these goals.

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Strange as it may seem today, very few people in Great Britain wanted to abolish slavery. The economic case for the slave trade was strong. As one advocate put it, “Abolition would instantly annihilate a trade which annually employs 5,500 sailors, 160 ships, and exports that amounted to 800,000 pounds sterling.” It seemed that God had called Wilberforce for a “Mission Impossible” assignment.

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I’m reminded of a somewhat similar event in the Bible: God commanding Noah to build a large boat that was big enough to withstand a disastrous flood and to house an assortment of the world’s animal population. Noah built the boat, and Wilberforce took on the pro-slavery lobby

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Wilberforce’s fight began in the British Parliament in 1788 when at his request his friend, Prime Minister William Pitt, introduced a resolution requiring the House of Commons to discuss the slave trade during the next session. For the next 45 years Wilberforce and his colleagues diligently fought for the passage of an anti-slavery bill. Some years they came close, and in other years they were soundly defeated due to economic and political instability.

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Finally, on July 26, 1833, passage of the bill for the Abolition of Slavery ended slavery in England. The same issue in the United States gave rise to the American Civil War, resulting in divisions that still linger today, as well as a large and tragic loss of human life.

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To sustain them and support one another through this long struggle, a number of the Christian parliamentarians supporting Wilberforce decided to live together, an arrangement also facilitating research and strategizing. Henry Thornton, a Member of Parliament and a wealthy banker offered his home Battersea Rise Clapham. As more and more Christian members of Parliament moved in, Thornton built extra rooms. Eventually, Battersea Rise had 34 bedrooms, as well as a large library designed by Prime Minister Pitt.

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The Chapman Society, as Wiberforce and his colleagues came to be called, had to alter its strategy frequently, sometimes focusing its energies on changing the minds of politicians, sometimes taking the case directly to the people with pamphlets, boycotts, and petitions. The upheaval caused by the French Revolution set back the group’s efforts a decade or more

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What lessons can we learn from the story of William Wilberforce? I believe we can learn three lessons from this story. First, not all causes find an easy way in this world; a leader needs persistence and patience. Secondly, doing what God calls us to do is a total life commitment. And thirdly, a leader is expected to be flexible in searching for ways to help build the Kingdom of God. There is a wonderful 2006 movie entitled “Amazing Grace” which tells the story of William Wilberforce and his struggle to abolish slavery. It’s a movie I believe every Christian should watch. ~ Pastor Ken

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