‘Amazing Grace’ is also the title of a film about William Wilberforce's political fight to abolish slavery, helped by William Pitt and John Newton among others. The movie shows that after years of trying to get the bill passed Wilberforce is physically ill and devastated that after all this time the laws still have not been changed and hundreds of people are still being enslaved and killed.
From 1789, Wilberforce regularly introduced bills in Parliament to ban the Slave Trade. He was fiercely opposed by those making fortunes from the trade, but he never gave up. The turning point was in 1806 when the abolitionists’ came at parliament with a ‘sly side wind.’ Amusingly (or not at the time) I was reminded of this when being blown side-ways on the M74, I am not sure if it was the solid fenders on my bike or the high luggage that acted as a sail, I only know I hung on for dear life - no wonder there are two massive wind-turbine power stations either side of that motorway!
I won’t spoil the film for those who’ve not seen it, but I love how the breakthrough comes as the result of a brainwave by James Stephen, a maritime lawyer who struck on the ingenious tactic of coming in by a ‘side wind’ and proposing a bill, seemingly unrelated to abolition, regarding ‘the use of neutral flags on French cargo ships’ - if you don’t already know how this began to change the course of history you will have to watch the film. The scene in the film is so amusing - a very boring politician spouts his case for this bill and only one of the opposition gets wind there is something amiss.
If you feel like you are currently in an impossible situation, with no change in sight, remember the side-wind tactic. The Lord of heaven and earth is about to release His winds of change.
“The Lord does whatever pleases Him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and in their depths. He … releases the wind from His storehouses” Psalm 135:6–7 [NLT].
The Lord will release His “winds of change” for His purpose and plans for us at the appointed time “…fire and hail, snow and clouds, wind and weather that obey him,” Psalm 148:8 [NLT].
Amazing Grace trailer [YouTube - 3 mins] – Full movie can be viewed on YouTube/Netflix etc.
Dawn Milward
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