Amazing Grace

Week 3

This week we’re trying to turn the corner from historic hagiography to present day
action. Wilberforce’s story is inspiring, but matters most as it spurns us to become
abolitionists in our day the same way Wilberforce was in his.

Scripture
Luke 22:47-53 47While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who
was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss
him, 48but Jesus asked him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"
 49When Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen, they said, "Lord, should we
strike with our swords?" 50And one of them struck the servant of the high priest,
cutting off his right ear.
 51But Jesus answered, "No more of this!" And he touched the man's ear and healed
him.
 52Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the
elders, who had come for him, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with
swords and clubs? 53Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not
lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns."

Mixer

1.) Have everyone share their name and whether they prefer peanut butter
and jelly or peanut butter and honey.

Going Deeper

1.) What is one thing that stuck out to you from the film this week? Was
there any point that you had an emotional reaction? Why?
2.) As a group summarize Fox’s argument against abolishing the slave
trade. What were some of his reasons for keeping it in place? Do any of
those reason sound like ones you’ve heard to defend practices in our
day? Explain.

Fox has three main points: First that they have no evidence of the slaves themselves
objecting to the slave trade. Second, that he hears slaves in the West Indies have
gardens with pigs in them (I think it’s pigs) and that his constituents in Liverpool
don’t live that well. Thirdly, slave trade should be kept in place because the people
of England “seem unconcerned” with it.

Each has obvious problems regarding the Gospel. We use similar arguments when
justifying low-prices at he expense of sweat shop labor and abused migrant workers
as well. You may know of other places as well.
 3.) Consider together Dunder’s argument for “gradually” (he asserts that
we should dissolve the slave trade, but gradually. This way it doesn’t
destroy the British economy) abolishing the slave trade and compare it
Martin Luther King’s letter from the Birmingham jail below. What are
the similarities? What are the differences? When is it OK to affect
change gradually?

**King writes the section of the letter below to other clergy from the jail in
Birmingham. It is in response to the white moderates assertion that he should pull
back and take his time with civil rights.

“I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must
confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I
have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride
toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white
moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is
the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: "I
agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action"; who
paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a
mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient
season." Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute
misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than
outright rejection.”

4.) Consider our text from Luke. Wilberforce tells Clarkson, “You speak of
revolution as if it is a safe thing.” Why does he push back against
Clarkson’s desire to radicalize and take up arms like they have in
France and America?

It is like Jesus and Peter in the garden. Peter, like many of Jesus’ disciples had
seen many religious leaders talk of revolution and even ride into Jerusalem
and cleanse the temple before they took up arms against Rome (Judas
Maccabeus for example) When Jesus does these same things he does so
because he is indeed calling for revolution, but it of a different kind. So, when
Peter draws his sword it is easy to see why. Is now the time Lord!! Now we
fight, right? But no! Jesus response to this act of violence with healing. Saying,
“No more of this!”, because by his death, he was going to defeat death and
violence not insight more of it.

This is why Wilberforce’s response is very Christian. You can’t defeat death
and suffering by inflicting more of it. To follow Jesus means we do as he did,
defeat death with love. That’s how we change things. That’s how, as U2 says,
we dismantle an atomic bomb.

Which bring us to point 5…

5.) How can we enact Jesus’ Revolution of Love and be abolitionists in
our own day? Consider the Not For Sale materials and talk about where
we find slavery in our own day. (Check where everyone’s clothes were
made for starters – sweat shop labor is a big problem.). Then consider
passing out the student tool kits to your group and challenging the kids
to do what Wilberforce did. Take action to free the slaves of today.