The release this weekend of Amazing Grace, the story of William Wilberforce and his lifelong crusade to abolish the slave trade is a must see movie, in my mind, not only for the inspiration of the man, but to remind us that the work is not finished.
As staggering and unbelievable as it may seem to us who live in these “enlightened and modern times” slavery is not dead. In fact as I pointed out in Slavery – The Dark Side of Our Global Economy, world wide human trafficking and slavery is a bigger problem today than it has ever been. As Gary Haugen writes in On a Justice Mission (Christianity Today), in 1807 about 50,000 new slaves were boarded onto British ships each year. Today, just the number of children who are sold exceeds this, not to mention the millions of others in slavery in mines, quarries, plantations, and mills throughout the world.
Please read Haugen’s post to learn more about what is at the root of slavery and what you can do about it. Reread my post to gain a perspective on how businesses around the world contribute to the problem.
It is our responsibility as humans and citizens of the Kingdom of God to stand against this. It is our duty as consumers and business leaders to stand against this.
Watch Amazing Grace in the days ahead. And let it move you to action.
Comments (2)
Amazing Grace
Saw it Sunday night. Great movie. Theatre full and got an ovation at the end. Must see.
It is a must see…
And I was really impressed by the number of rich lessons in the movie about calling, commitment, perseverance, leadership, creativity, loyalty, team…you get the idea.
I had never known about the intimate connection that John Newton had with Wilberforce, and how they each helped each other at critical times.
It’s a great movie to see with friends and family and then to discuss.