Fighting Injustice With Art and FaithNäide

Let's spend a little more time on the Clapham Group, this unique body of believers in the late 1700 and early 1800s whom God used to dramatically change the world.

They were, essentially, a group of misfits. But they changed the course of history. They came from all different backgrounds and had different professions. Some were in politics. Some were pastors or preachers. Some were writers and artists. Some were business people.

But despite their connections, their wealth, and their positions in society, they still didn’t quite belong. Because what they all had in common was that their faith was most important to them (which wasn't popular). And, they couldn’t quite keep quiet (which wasn't normal).

They were horrified at the injustices of slavery. And they were critical of the institutions that perpetuated it: the Crown, the government, the Church, the universities, the whole economic infrastructure.

Historical Snapshot:

Here's a quick introduction to four of the group members, two who we've already met:

• Hannah More: A single woman who made a living off her writing (which didn’t happen back then) and influenced society through poems, plays and tracts.
• Thomas Clarkson an award-winning essayist who documented the horrors of slavery on famous field trips and who captured the attention of famous thinkers like Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Jane Austen, Ralph Waldo Emerson. He helped bring the abolition movement into being.
• Josiah Wedgwood –A visual artist, famous for pottery, who designed the “Am I Not a Man and a Brother” seal – which Benjamin Franklin described as “equal to that of the best written Pamphlet.”
• William Wilberforce –the British MP and businessman who became the voice of the movement in England and whose speeches spoke directly to the conscience of the nation.

It takes a lot of different skills, abilities, gifts and personalities to make change in the world. We can't do it alone. Let the testimony of the Clapham group and these inspiring believers encourage you today. No matter who you are or what your gifts may be, God can and will use you to build his kingdom and to address injustice!

Action Point:

Take time today to sit in God's presence and thank him that you belong to a wonderful body of believers, His church, that is set apart in this world to make a difference. Invite him to stir your heart for the things He's passionate about and to remind you of your purpose and calling.