Juneteenth and other sticky subjects
We’re all in process.
I recently completed an excellent book by Brian Kilmeade called, The President and the Freedom Fighter – Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, and Their Battle to Save America’s Soul. Brian is one of my favorite historical authors because he deeply explores the contradictions and development of famous characters. I learned many lessons from this study about the evolution of each man’s philosophy and how they maintained a working friendship, even when they vehemently disagreed. In the end, they highly respected one another and enjoyed company glued together by a common cause.
The book traces much of the transformation of Lincoln’s approach to the plague of slavery upon our nation. Though the Great Emancipator came to believe that the Civil War was indeed precipitated and fought over the issue of human bondage, he traveled a zig-zag path that was often contradictory to get to this point of view. Lincoln’s early letters reveal that he was always anti-slavery in sentiment, though, like the forefathers, he believed the union of the nation was an even more significant cause. Had slavery been allowed to become a make-or-break issue, there would be no United States of America. This belief was morally wrong, and most of them knew it. Lincoln was wrong too, but he ultimately turned the divisive issue into a moral imperative rather than one of states’ sovereignty. This was evident in the famous Lincoln/Douglas (Stephen Douglas) debates. Enslavement was morally wrong and indefensible. Lincoln was a master of compromise and a fully adept political strategist who ended up masterfully patient in his timing. Few people attain his level of self-restraint, for one must have the willpower to withstand the barrage of insults and criticisms thrown during the art of compromise.
On the other hand, Lincoln’s friend Frederick Douglass, or “Baily” as was his original name knew the horrors of servitude firsthand. He was an enslaved person living in captivity in Maryland. Douglass was nearly beaten to death many times before and after escaping to freedom in the north, and he ran for his life to other countries several times. His body bore the scars of evil, but each crack of the whip turned him into a powerful force for freedom. As one could understand, Frederick was an ardent abolitionist from the start, often placing him in opposition to Lincoln. Lincoln seemed to waver frequently, yet, truth be known, he was navigating the stormy waters of keeping the States united while ending slavery.
In the end, we know where the 16th President landed, being perhaps the last casualty of the Civil War. He finally put the end of slavery above preserving the union during the costliest war in our nation’s history. President Lincoln was sometimes hypocritical. The hard-hewn rail-splitter and the golden voice of emancipation struggled as friends because of his wavering views. Douglas realized that the President was a complex person, and like all of us, he evolved as life confronted him with ever-changing circumstances. Douglass’ experiences caused him to hold stronger convictions on this issue.
Sometimes sadly, history unfolds at its own pace, mostly meandering down the path it chooses. But on rare occasions, its waters are harnessed for good or equally towards evil, resulting in the evolution of humanity as we all struggle with our foibles. Such were the lives of these two men.
So, perhaps you are asking, “Alright, Hamilton, why the history lesson?” I’m glad you asked! My deductions and lessons are simple. Some life experiences impose upon us such harsh lessons that we never think the same again. Our Tutor has done His work, and our thinking on specific issues are cast in stone. Regarding slavery, no one could bear the brunt of being considered less than human without desperately longing for justice, truth, and freedom. How could anyone give issue with Douglass zeal!
Sadly, a society must create a holiday to commemorate a Proclamation that should never have been needed in the first place. Yet such is the history of humanity. Thank God we are blessed with the ability to grow in our thinking and correct our evil ways. It is wise to create holidays that spur us to remember that large numbers of us can hold views that later seem reprehensible. We celebrate the historical events of July 4th each year because they remind us that free people can and should be self-ruling rather than beholding to the whims of monarchs. Were it not for the results of that bloody conflict; we would still be speaking with a British accent. But our friends across the pond also concluded that there is a better form of government, and it is a testament to human nobility that two once fierce enemies are now ardent allies.
Our understanding and practice of life is an ever-evolving work in progress.
The two-year journey with my wife and pancreatic cancer changed me, some for the better, some not so much. Nevertheless, I can now feel what others experience when they lose a spouse. Both of my parents passed many years ago. Now I have friends whose parents are passing in a timelier manner, but the feelings are the same. Many years ago, I was divorced, and my thinking was forever enlightened. When I hear of a divorce, I can “feel” for that person. My sister died when I was young, and I learned indelible lessons. I’ve traveled to developing countries numerous times, and my understanding of the plight of the impoverished is etched in my mind. I’ve walked across Spain on ancient Roman roads and now possess a smidgen of the sense of history and time. I’ve held “sure” arguments on specific Biblical issues yet met many who love Jesus and are more intelligent than me who disagree with me. Now, it seems I have more questions about the Almighty than answers.
There is a myriad of experiences, both good and bad that affect our life philosophy. All the while, we are morphing, changing, and growing while simultaneously wavering, stumbling, and sometimes hurting others. At sixty-seven, I’m not so sure of some things, and I’m rock-solid on others. Grey in life is uncomfortable when you are young because black and white makes everything so much easier, but Scripture does not explicitly address a myriad of subjects, so we sometimes “fill in the blanks” with surefire information that is not so infallible. Then we expect others to be where we are in their thinking and acting.
As a pastor, I wanted to lead a church for the community and a place where people who don’t know much about the Bible and God could feel comfortable and accepted. I wanted people like myself, who lived an extremely wild existence for several years, to sense what I felt when a group of Christians at a new church accepted me as I was and didn’t make me feel “lesser.”
Sometimes this approach was challenging. Many of “those” folks came into our fold accompanied by some not-so-good thoughts and habits. I’ll never forget coming into the lobby one Sunday after preaching a message, and one man not so “Christianized” yet, yelled across the lobby. “That was one hell of a sermon, preacher!” I consider it one of the best compliments on a sermon I have ever received.
We are all in the process! If you think you’ve arrived, you are probably actually in the desert in desperate need of Living Water, but you don’t even know it.
Indeed, one of our most honored Presidents ended up promoting something that was a long shot from where he started. There were many twists and turns on the road to the Emancipation Proclamation and plenty of hypocrisy along the way, but isn’t that all our stories? I always liked the adage: “There’s so much bad in the best of us and so much good in the worst of us that it ill-behooves any of us to judge the rest of us.”
This leads to my points.
Grace is better than judgment.
Mercy is better than retribution.
Forgiveness is better than bitterness.
Kindness is better than animosity.
Love is light years better than hate.
When people in your life, or those who come across your path, think and act in ways you disagree with; I propose we are entreated by our Graceful, Merciful, Forgiving, Kind, and Loving Father to follow His example. We are all in process and sometimes live contradictory and even hypocritical lives.
Yes, there is a time to speak our minds and others when we will be required to make a judgment, but when fault-finding is more frequent than the other attributes, there is probably something questionable about our philosophy.
Live Inspired!
Don Mark
