Incredible People: William Wilberforce

Amazing GraceOn occasion, there are some of us who rise above the rest. Almost always it is directly related to our willingness to do what is right, often when no one else is willing to do the same. When faced with a really tough decision, or against overwhelming odds, or just standing up alone against the oncoming, crashing wave of long-held traditions, right or wrong.

One such man whom perhaps you’ve never heard of was William Wilberforce. Before recently, I only knew that there was a college in Southwest Ohio that bore his name (though I knew not why) and that only because our travels, on occasion, have taken us directly past the campus.

Not long ago, a friend told us about a movie they had seen recently, titled “Amazing Grace.” It told the story of the man who wrote the iconic hymn by the same name. At the time, I had definitely never heard of John Newton (the song’s composer) or any of his compelling life story. I didn’t even know that he was the man whom was just previously referenced.

How can that be? And what of Isaac Milner, and William Pitt, and Thomas Clarkson, and Olaudah Equiano, and a host of others who seem to have been lost to the dusty pages of history? These people had a profound impact not just on the world of their time, but the entire direction of human history to follow, up to our present day. So how is it possible that I—a pretty well-read, and reasonably learned individual—have not heard any of their story? Sadly, that may be a direct result of the (incorrect) emphases that our educational system places on some things to the tragic absence of the greater things, even more so the greater people.

But that’s a topic for another day.

Sparked by my curiosity to learn of this man whose name I had only known to adorn a giant placard at the entrance of a university campus, I found a few books using our library system: one to read together with our kids, and another (audio book) to “read” on an upcoming trip we had planned. To my surprise, I not only discovered the fact mentioned above (that it was not Wilberforce, but rather Newton who penned the song Amazing Grace which titled the movie and the audio book I had borrowed) but a whole cast of characters whom God had providentially assembled at just the right place, and at just the right time.

We need to set the context. I certainly don’t intend to retell the whole story or recreate the world which I have been temporarily inhabiting (for it seems that way, if only in my mind), and moreover I do wish that you would also read the books I recommend here, or watch the movie or both, but in order to appreciate even this very brief, cursory introduction to the lives of these men, I must remind you of—or introduce you to—the time in which they lived.

It was the 18th century, in Great Britain. The American colonies had fought for and won their independence. The people of Europe (and their colonies) were not only fighting political revolutions—with France’s yet to come—but also philosophical and spiritual ones. The “people” were finding a voice (not just in America) and they were also reclaiming spiritual and moral values: the Great Awakening.

However, the time leading up to these major cultural changes was some of the darkest, most inhumane time in all of history. Poverty and great social and economic distance between the rich and poor, diseases, overpopulated cities and high rates of death, prostitution, rampant chronic drunkenness, and many other societal ills surrounded the one that, perhaps to our time, was the most apalling of all: the African slave trade.

The book that I found for the kids tells the story of the African slave trade, from the time the boats left the harbor in England for the shores of Africa, through the horrific “Middle Passage,” to the selling of any of the men, women, and children who survived the 3-week journey, and finally completing the circle, bringing the goods from the West Indies back home to the British Isles.

It is truly unspeakable how horrendously the captives were treated. Even the fact that there was such a “trade” by their fellow Africans (who were often the initial captors and then slave traders) just leaves you doubting the existence of any absolute bottom level to which our grotesque, debase character can fall. I would prefer not to retell here all the ways that these people were treated during this frighteningly evil process, so suffice it to say, it was not human.

We all know that, of course. Slavery is bad. It’s evil, reprehensible, incomprehensible really. But too often (at least this is true for me) we are able to keep it at such a distance that it doesn’t turn our stomach. It’s just not very “real” to us, since it doesn’t happen around us anymore. We don’t see the ugly reality of it in our everyday lives. At one point in Wilberforce’s life, he brought a group of influential, wealthy Brits to one of these slave ships so that they could not only hear the stories, but actually smell the putrid death that these ships bore. The people needed to really understand what was happening.

(As a footnote, one thing that I was reminded of by the tactics employed by Wilberforce and his companions—frequently referred to as the Chapham Saints—where they used any method they could to vividly, graphically bring the world of the slave trade to the very eyes, ears, and noses of their otherwise ignorant countrymen, is the modern atrocity in our country (and others) that we politely refer to as “abortion.” Some pro-life tactics are similar, attemping in any way they can imagine to bring the gruesome images and stories front-and-center to an otherwise ingnorant populous. To this point, however, I’d say with much less popular success.)

So with a financially successful (not to mention culturally well-entrenched) mercantile system powered by slaves, Wilberforce more than had his “work cut out for him.”

What made him so different is that he, young as he may have been, was decidedly up to the task.

But first, there is John Newton. Newton was a renowned slave ship captain. He actually had been a slave himself as a youth, but after having his freedom purchased by a sea captain, he found himself as the captain of his own ship: a slave ship. (One wonders how in the world he reconciled that, given his own past.) After a harrowing experience at sea where he nearly lost his ship, his crew, and his own life, Newton found (or was found by) God. His conversion obviously profoundly affected his life, and he left the slave trade to become a minister.

(At this time, the Church of England was the established, recongnized church, but it had no real spiritual basis. It was an empty link to the past, a declawed cat. Whereas it had previously had much more authority, it now represented in a way the current spiritual condition of many of the people: dead. There were, of course, still many people experiencing life-changing truth in the Gospels. These people, who were wanting to live their lives under the influence of Jesus’ teachings—not just bear the name Christian—were called “Methodists” (not yet a Christian denomination, however) and because of their sometimes serious, sometimes outrageous mannerisms, they were said to have a melancholy madness. So, the term “Methodist” was a derogatory term to most.)

As a boy of eleven or twelve years of age, Wilberforce was sent off to live with his aunt and uncle, who were among these “Methodists”, unbeknownst to his mother, who would not have allowed it, had she known. It was this time that ended up shaping the entire course of his life, though he wouldn’t really know that till much later. His aunt and uncle (along with John and Charles Wesley, who were themselves leaders in the spiritual reformation taking place) attended the church where the reformed John Newton was preaching. So for a couple years, Wilberforce not only was surrounded by people who were living lives grounded in their life-changing relationship with Jesus, but undoubtedly he was also likely introduced to the horrors of the slave trade, hearing Newton’s teaching every week, or more.

This was another astounding realization to me. In our current time, it would be a ridiculous notion indeed to suggest that any person could have no awareness of the slave trade from our country’s past. However, had Wilberforce not met this former slave ship captain, he, like many of his fellow Britons, may not have even been aware there was any slave trade at all! Because all of the trade happened far away from their island, many were entirely ignorant of the whole horrific process.

But, the thing that made William Wilberforce a great man was just this. He was certainly born into a wealthy family, having many opportunities simply from his birth. He was also, by all accounts a gifted speaker, and singer, being given by God a voice like very few others. He was afforded the best education available in England, and his best friend was the Prime Minister. By all accounts, he had everything going for him.

This is when he chose to be great.

Instead of advancing his own career in politics or any other endeavors, he chose to fight—at great cost to himself politically, socially, and even physically—for people whom he had mostly never met, and whom many people had learned to consider less than human.

But not Wilberforce. He knew to his core that it was wrong. And he would not stop until it was no longer happening.

He did not. Though defeated year after year in the parliament, Wilberforce and his Clapham Circle continued to introduce bill after bill, backing it with great oratory and educating the public to its disgusting nature. Each year they got closer and closer, but it literally took 18 years of unflappable determination before the parliament agreed to abolish slavery in 1807.

It wasn’t until 1833 that the parliament passed an act to free all slaves. That was the same year William Wilberforce died. He was able to see the final fruits of his labor within his own lifetime. Though, certainly it was only the start of a new and better reality for not only England, but all of humanity.

There are few men like this. With so many obstacles, failures, and lack of support, it would have been easier to just give up and live a quiet life alone with his family. (He married and had six children.) But great people do what is right when no one else will. No matter the cost.

These are the people we need to be.


For further learning, I recommend:
Amazing Grace (the movie)
Amazing Grace (the book)
Out of Slavery (the kids’ book)
The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African (internet book)
BBC History: William Wilberforce (article)
Clapham Sect, Clapham Circle, Clapham Saints (wikipedia)
Isaac Milner (wikipedia)
Newton, Wilberforce and the Spirituality of Abolition (article)

Are You Feeling Apathetic?

One thing I’ve been thinking about quite a lot lately is our current posture as a nation, as a people. From studying forms of education, and specifically researching the lives of the founders of this country by reading from their own writings, I’ve just been challenged by their devotion to learning and their fascinating courage of convictions. And in contrast, been saddened by what appears to me as not only a lack of courage (or even perhaps, a lack of convictions altogether) but really a palpable apathy.

But I could really be wrong.

What I mean is this: Many of us go about our daily lives, really just trying to get by. We go to our jobs to “pay the rent,” we probably have some TV shows we like to watch, maybe some music we like to listen to (though it seems I have fewer conversations about good music than I remember having in the past…), and there are all sorts of video games that keep us entertained (read: busy), but then that’s it. Several of us, if we’re not students or parents of students, belong to some sort of group (maybe Scouts, community sports, a church, even perhaps a political group). But, at the end of the day (literally) we are not very motivated to (1) know what is going on with our neighbors, and in our community, and (2) even less likely to know what’s going on in our country and in our world.

Is that true? Do you notice that, too? Am I just surrounded by incredibly unmotivated people???

Of course, that’s unfair to say. In fact, I know many people who are very motivated to first better themselves, then their kids, then to be actively involved in the lives of their neighbors and friends, and even on a wider scale as a citizen of their state and country. However, they sure seem like the exception.

Why is that? What has bred this sense of apathy into our nation? Apathy about the deterioration of our marriages and families. Apathy about us “settling for less” in so many arenas of life (in our jobs, in the marketplace in general, in politics, in our churches, even in our own life with God)… to me, it seems we just don’t care to fix it.

If you are, what is your motivation? What spurs you on to better yourself and to “love your neighbor as yourself?” I think that’s what we’re doing when we “get involved” in our neighborhoods and communities. It’s the “Golden Rule” in action. If you’re living that, why do you? Why are you not content to just play video games and watch TV and go to your job when you have to?

My sense is that our culture is much more defined by the latter than the former. What I’m hoping to instill in our kids is a strong foundation of being loved by God (just as they are loved by Mom & Dad, but better), being people of character and integrity (knowing what is right, and doing it even at their own personal expense), and being actively involved in loving people as they have been loved (equally without favorites, unconditionally, and selflessly). That’s what we (Jen & I) are doing with every ounce of energy that we have on every day. At least, that’s what we’re trying to do.

But some continue to slovenly linger in apathy.

Is that you? Why? Is that someone you know? Ask them why they don’t care to better themselves, if you’re so bold. (If you do, please do so with a humble, non-judgmental attitude. None of us is inherently better than another, some are just perhaps more self-aware and aware of others, in a good way.)

I’m very intrigued by the character of the people who founded our country. Some may argue, “But they had slaves!” Well, if you read history, there were many who flat out wanted it ended, and others (including George Washington) who “owned” slaves, but never bought any slaves, nor treat them as property, and made sure they were freemen when he died. Slavery is certainly an ugly blemish on our nation’s history, but as with all things there are many “sides” to the story. (Of course I don’t ever condone anyone owning any other person. However, it is also true that there are always more “sides” to the story.)

The courage these guys showed in the face of insurmountable odds. The integrity they displayed in standing up for what they knew to be right, despite the fact that it likely meant losing everything they had, including their lives. And to do it, not just for themselves or their families, but for their fellow countrymen.

I don’t think we have people like that today. At least, I’m not sure I’ve met them.

(No offense to any of my friends who may be reading this.) 😉

I’m not sure I’m them.

So, how do we get past the generations of ingrained apathy? Something like 9-11 perhaps? Maybe. That did seem to draw us all together, and perk up our ears to the current events of the day. We were all one people then, rather than a country divided by “left” and “right” leanings. I would hope that wouldn’t be necessary, but I’m not sure how we lift that (apparent) heavy blanket of apathy, and motivate and inspire each other to betterment of ourselves, our marriages, our families, and our communities. Do you?

More questions than answers here today, but it’s the stuff that is currently ruminating in Greg’s Head. Thanks for reading along, and do add your thoughts to the stew, if you’re so inclined.

Why Does Everyone Hate Glenn Beck?

Glenn BeckI am a Glenn Beck fan.

If you weren’t immediately turned off by the title, I’d imagine that at least a handful of readers are now completely done with this post, and—quite likely—done with GregsHead.net entirely.

That seems to be the current climate in our country, especially in the political world, and especially surrounding the man Glenn Beck.

What I don’t get is why we decide certain people aren’t worth listening to, without really listening to them. I had a conversation with a friend not long ago who said something a bit “off the cuff” about Beck, and, me being an actual long-time listener to his stuff—and, thinking this friend to be a thinker, rather than just a spewer of recycled words—I decided to initiate a dialog with him about some of the misconceptions about this much-maligned media personality.

I am not writing this to defend Glenn Beck. You’re likely an adult, and you can decide who and what you want to listen to, and agree or disagree with. That’s certainly not in question.

What I am so puzzled by is (and I’ve mentioned this often here) why we say things—often at least skewed, if not untrue—about other people (or other “sides”) instead of listening to each other. We just are not listening to each other.

And sometimes, it’s just because of a name.

I started listening to Glenn’s radio show before the 2000 presidential election. A few things caught my ear. First, I did agree with most of what he said, and even though he was a Republican then, he seemed more independent thinking, not just a Republican party supporter. (I am not a supporter of any party.) Second, his stuff was really just funny then. It was pre-9/11. Third… he told a story about his daughters that was intriguingly close to how I think as a parent.

And so, I began to listen.

The strange part is, until just recently, Glenn Beck was fairly irrelevant. 🙂 He was just a funny guy on the radio. But then, as he has changed over the years, and his focus became more on “educating” the American people on the parts of history we’ve not been taught, or been taught perhaps differently than actually happened… all of a sudden, it became not only unpopular to say you are a listener or a fan of Glenn Beck, but it’s downright evil! You must be stupid!

Really?

Here’s the thing. Sometimes I wonder why people think what they do. I bet you do, too. Obviously, mostly when they see something completely differently than I do. “How can they think that???” I wonder. Well… because they have brains, and they have put the pieces together slightly different than I!

The biggest problem in our country currently—probably in the entire world, actually—is that we do not allow others to be different. I mean, we say we do… but we really don’t.

If so, it would be OK for people to like Glenn Beck.

Glenn has been talking this week about the attacks on him. There are attempts to boycott his advertisers, discredit him, etc, etc. Even the president called him out by name. There is also a process in the works to limit and filter content on the internet in our country. (See “Net Neutrality” page at Wikipedia. Primarily a technology thing, but opens the door for censorship.) In a lot of ways, people want to “shut up” Glenn Beck.

Same goes for the Tea Party Movement. (Which is often associated with Glenn Beck.) But I actually know many people who, if they are not part of this “movement”, are sympathetic to it. (Even some who don’t listen to Glenn Beck!)

Granted, there are some people out there who are just joining the latest trend or fad. Whatever “side” that may represent. But I’m guessing, based on the people I know on both (or all?) sides of the political spectrum that nearly all of us have good reasons for what we believe. They may be misinformed in some cases, but I’d say mostly we’ve had some reason or opportunity to form a worldview and a set of values and principles with which we align ourselves. Our choice. Not a “party line.”

(NOTE: I am not applying this to the politicians in Washington. I’d say people with principles and actual well-thought-out beliefs in DC are the rare exception, rather than the norm!)

We have a tendency to lump people together. Especially those who do not think like we do. (Though, sometimes we assume someone who thinks similarly on one issue, will think as we do on all issues, too.) It’s just not true. We are individuals. There may be some—even many—similarities, but we are not automatons merely following our marching instructions. None of us. Your side, or their side.

So let’s allow people to express themselves… for real. Not just say that we do. If someone thinks differently than you, let him speak. There is a notion that people are not smart enough to filter through all the “stuff” out there … and so those who are saying things that are completely opposed to what we think should be “silenced” … but perhaps that is the scariest thing we could say. Once we silence one voice, who’s to say you’re not next?

I’ve said here a bunch of times that this blog is not a political blog, and that’s really true. But lately I’ve just been amazed at how divisive the name “Glenn Beck” has become and it made me think that we’re still not listening to each other.

And so I ask you… why not? Are you?

I hope so.

And, if you are turned off by the name Glenn Beck, and have never actually listened to Glenn’s show, perhaps you could listen for a few days. (One day would not be enough, I don’t think, to get past any prejudice that has been built up.) Or you can read his very short book “Common Sense“, get a copy from the library or a friend. Then, if you still don’t agree, rock on. But we just can’t make judgements without listening. Without doing proper research. We all deserve a chance to be heard.

And we all need to just listen.

E Pluribus Unum

We have noticed something on this trip. Something that perhaps we have heard of, or even known intellectually before, but the experience this particular tour of our country has been more vivid. Something that today, frankly, bothered or perhaps even worried me.

You have heard it said (if you are a follower of politics or current events) that we are “Two Americas”. John Kerry’s folks would have you believe that the two Americas are the Democrats and Republicans. Those for the people and those for Big Business. Those for the middle class and those for the super-rich. Those for health care and jobs and education and a smarter war on terror, and those against all of those things. Broken down even more, it is the “tolerant” vs. the “religious right” who only want to bind people with their stuffy morality.

There is definitely a divide in America today stemming from personal spiritual convictions and particularly how those play out in public – mainly legislative – life. Those worlds will never intersect. The closest we came was when our country was founded by folks trying to escape the tyranny of religious oppression and live here together governed by a common morality and a person’s conscience, rather than a large government making people behave correctly. Life was just about as it should be then, when God was a welcome member of our society… He was indeed the foundation.

But today, and on this tour we have noticed a different set of americas. Indeed, there are not only two, but MANY.

One of the greatest things about our country is that we are quite multicultural. People from ALL backgrounds can come here and make a life for themselves in the most richly abundantly blessed country that has ever existed. They can come and join in this great nation that is the USA.

In fact, our coins talk about this. The latin phrase “E Pluribus Unum” is inscribed on our money, reminding us all that we are many from one. Literally, I believe it’s “From Many One”. How great is that?!? I love that you can look at any ethnic group of people in the world and they could be Americans. We are so diverse in not only appearance, but in culture. We have so many different heritages. Festivals, sections of towns, and many other things celebrate our uniqueness.

But perhaps we have gone too far?

My next words may sound a bit bigoted or intolerant. Just wanted to warn you. I do not hate anyone. Quite the opposite. But I think we are losing our greatest strength.

We are so quick to celebrate our diversity, that we do not really encourage unity. We have African-Americans, Native-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and on and on and on. We are all tied by the second part of that hyphenated phrase… but, we are still hyphenated.

And in a thrift store in Incline Village, NV today, we were out numbered by the people who DO NOT speak English. And that really bothered me.

Now, I speak Spanish. So, I could communicate with them. No problem. And if they were just visiting, obviously no problem. I have said for years, because of my experience of growing up overseas, that Americans are stupid, self-centered people who only care about themselves and not other nations cultures and languages. To an extent that is still true.

But these Spanish-only speakers are EVERYWHERE. Really. If it was just by the borders of our Spanish-speaking country to the south, then it would be more understandable. Two countries will obviously spill on to each other and require a certain degree of bilinguality. But we are allowing a HUGE number of people ALL over our country to not just maintain their heritage or identity… but to NOT merge into ONE culture.

I do not want everyone to be the same. Diversity is something God gave us that I believe, since we are made in his image, reflects his supreme diversity. He is unfathomable in his diversity.

But… it says “From Many…. ONE”

We don’t have any of that going on.

We hire spanish speaking workers (as at a McDonald’s we were at). We have Spanish signs in public buildings. We have spanish TV… etc, etc, etc.

My point is not that Spanish is bad. My point is, shouldn’t we all have SOMETHING in common besides paying taxes (which many spanish speakers may not be doing… but that’s another topic…) A language is a uniting thing that does not squash heritage. It does not castrate your ethnic identity. IT MAKES US ONE.

So, from Incline Village, NV to Bentonville, AR, to Boulder, CO, to yes… Los Angeles, CA…. Spanish is not only spoken, but often is the only language spoken.

It seems to me that it may be in our best interest to stop thinking we are being tolerant and move back toward unity of our country – our Two Americas – by being ONE NATION again. Celebrate diversity, yes, but let’s have everyone learn to speak our COMMON language. Let’s make one from many. Not just a bunch of manys living on one continent.

Just my opinion from our travels these last months. Take it for what it is. I am not a bigot. I am actually quite fluent in spanish…

But, let’s do some E Pluribus Unum-ing!!!