Tonight, Mark and I went to the movie, Amazing Grace, about William Wilberforce and his fight against slavery in England in the 1700s (I believe). Wow - he was a man of courage and conviction! At one point in his young adulthood, he finds God, or, as he says it, God found HIM. He is struggling with giving up a promising political career in order to serve God, and shares this with some of his friends. God vs. changing the world. Which was he called to do? He is introduced to a group of people who fought against slavery, and they proposed he could do both, that if he changed the world, he WOULD be serving God. Which, of course, is what he did...
It seems to me there is truth in that for all of us - we can serve God at the SAME time that we change the world! That is true if we are in Action/One-Ten/Missionary Co/Lasalle Co, at work as a therapist or nurse or teacher, or a mom who is staying home with her children or a child growing up - we ALL have a part to play in changing the world, and making it a better place AND serving God through it.
May we all do our part to change the world with as MUCH courage, persistence and devotion as William Wilberforce!
“Is it not the great end of religion, and, in particular, the glory of Christianity, to extinguish the malignant passions; to curb the violence, to control the appetites, and to smooth the asperities of man; to make us compassionate and kind, and forgiving one to another; to make us good husbands, good fathers, good friends; and to render us active and useful in the discharge of the relative social and civil duties?” (William Wilberforce)
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Correction: Wilberforce was working on abolition of slave trade in 19th century, so I was off by 100 years or so! :)
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