Saturday, March 03, 2007

Amazing Grace

I saw the movie "Amazing Grace" last night. It is a movie about William Wilberforce a British MP and close friend of the then Prime Minister William Pitt.

Wilberforce had been inspired as a youth from his pastor John Newton. John Newton had been a slave trader who had a conversion experience, gave up his slave trading business and went into the ministry. He coined the well known hymn "Amazing Grace." I used to hate the words, "that saved a wretch like me," until I realized that it was autobiographical to Newton and, perhaps most importantly, what had made him a wretch.

In any case, Wilberforce made it his life's ambition to end the English slave trading. This movie is about his efforts. Having dry eyes at the end of the movie is difficult.

It struck me. Wilberforce was a rare statesman. He fought for a moral good. He did it at great personal sacrifice and despite the fact for long stretches of his life, many of his colleagues loathed him.

In any case, this is an excellent movie to see and discuss!

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