William Wilberforce entered my world in 2000. One of the assignments in an Adult Discipleship Training Class at our church was to research a historic believer who made a major contribution to society as a whole, not just in Christian circles. We each picked one person to research from the list our pastor provided, did the research, and wrote a biographical sketch for the other class members to read.
I chose William Wilberforce, the 18th century English member of Parliament who made it his life’s work to abolish the slave trade in England. You can read a short biography (not the one I wrote years ago) at Christianity Today’s website.
Or you can watch the story unfold in the beautifully-made movie Amazing Grace, released by Bristol Bay Productions in 2007. Ioan Gruffudd portrays Wilberforce, and Romola Garai plays his wife. Albert Finney is John Newton,the former slave trader turned preacher, abolitionist, and author of the hymn, Amazing Grace. He also mentored Wilberforce, encouraging him to use his influence and position to end slavery in England.
This movie is a story of the cruelty of the men engaged in the slave trade. It’s the story of men, frail and persistent, called by God to speak out against that evil. It’s the story of a man and woman who were given much and risked what they had to do what was right instead of what was easy.
The conviction that first took root when Wilberforce entered my world during the Adult Discipleship Class in 2000 unfurled while I watched the movie a few weeks ago. How am I helping others using the gifts God has provided? What am I doing to move beyond comfortable Christian circles and contribute to all of society? How does God want me to step out in faith and do what is right instead of what’s easy? Those questions will take the rest of my life to ponder and act upon.
Amazing Grace is a life-altering movie. If you watch it, you may start asking the same questions, and who knows where they will lead you? So think carefully before you slip the DVD into your player. Be prepared to look at life differently once you watch it.
Prepare to change.
