‘Grace is the love of God’
David Jones on how all are created equal and deserving of love and protection of each other
THE sense of outrage and distress that has led to mass protest not only in America but all over the world just cannot be ignored.
There’s no doubt that long held injustices were always beneath the surface and the tragic death of George Floyd was the spark that ignited dissent on an unprecedented scale.
Then again, the scenes from Bristol of the statue of slave trader Edward Colson being unceremoniously dumped into Bristol docks was the culmination of years of the pain and insult that many felt as they passed it every day.
It took William Wilberforce and other abolitionists of their day over 18 years of persistent lobbying with bill after bill to end slavery being rejected by Parliament so engrained in the political and trading system was its evil.
We may look back and ask the question as to why a country which celebrated Christian faith could have condoned and even encouraged such a trade. How did men like Edward Colson, revered with a statue extolling his wisdom and generosity, at the same time trade in the pain, agony and death of thousands of men, women and children?
Here, as in America, change did eventually come but at great human cost and suffering. What blinded people of faith, professing Christians - did they choose to ignore the glaring truth of the Bible that all men and women are created equal or could it be that deeprooted racism was blinding even the eyes of the faithful?
William Wilberforce and others of deep faith and none strove tirelessly in their day to end the obscenity of slavery while others just turned a blind eye.
The Biblical prophet Amos had something to say that is as relevant today – ‘I detest your religious feasts’ he said ‘but let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!’
There’s no doubt that even in the days of Wilberforce there was much pandering to religion and yet an unwillingness to be challenged by the undeniable truth of God’s Word that all are created equal and deserving of the love and protection of each other.
It was Marilynn Robinson who said ‘Religion is human behaviour. Grace is the love of God.’ When we lack grace, we are bereft of love and that’s why a statue ends up in a dock!