William Wilberforce: God's Champion Against Slavery

Today the Episcopal Church remembers and honors William Wilberforce who championed the anti-slavery movement in England, and who worked tirelessly to abolish the slave trade. 

He was born in 1759 in England.  Wilberforce served in Parliament served in Parliament from 1780 to 1825.  His life was changed when he was touring Europe, when he read William Law's book, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life.  Wilberforce embarked on a lifelong program of setting aside Sundays and an interval each morning for prayer and religious reading. Regarding his vocation, Wilberforce considered the options, including ordained ministry, but decided that his calling was to serve God through politics. He was a major supporter of programs for popular education, overseas missions, parliamentary reform, and religious liberty. He is best known, however, for his untiring commitment to the abolition of slavery and the slave trade. He introduced his first anti-slavery motion in the House of Commons in 1788, in a three-and-a-half hour oration that concluded: "Sir, when we think of eternity and the future consequence of all human conduct, what is there in this life that shall make any man contradict the dictates of his conscience, the principles of justice and the law of God!"  Although at first rejected, slavery was finally abolished in 1806.

The reading for William Wilberforce is taken from Paul’s letter to the Galatians:

Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.  (Gal. 3:23-29).

Christ died for men and for women, for Jews and for Gentiles, for slaves and those who were free.  Through Jesus Christ, we have all been made heirs, the sons and daughters of God.  That is good news in a world often filled with injustice and heartache.  It is through God’s grace alone that we are made children of God.  Give thanks for God’s bounteous mercy.

Let us pray:  Just and eternal God, we give you thanks for the stalwart faith and persistence of your servants William Wilberforce and Anthony Ashley-Cooper, who, undeterred by opposition and failure, held fast to a vision of justice in which no child of yours might suffer in enforced servitude and misery. Grant that we, drawn by that same Gospel vision, may persevere in serving the common good and caring for those who have been cast down, that they may be raised up through Jesus Christ; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Your servant in Christ,

 
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550