Let me first give out an advisement to those that plan on seeing the movie “Amazing Grace.” Part of this writing will tell some of the story. But here is the good news. There is nothing you will see here that should spoil the movie for you. It was well done, and will not be offensive to any one of any age.

Amazing Grace, How sweet the sound,

That sav’d a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found,

Was blind, but now I see.

Original lyrics from John Newton’s Amazing Grace

Those of you that have known me for a long enough time, at least in a church setting, know that Amazing Grace is my favorite hymn. I enjoy it’s simplicity as well as the message it portrays.

Yesterday, my wife and I went to the movies. We saw a picture of the same title, “Amazing Grace”. I picked this one mostly because I liked the title. I saw the previews online, but they did not tell much of what the story was about.

The movie Amazing Grace has a major theme, the life work of William Wilberforce and his great efforts to end the slave trade prevalent in the late 1700’s. As I watched the movie, it dawned on me that there were several story lines going on at once.

Wilborforce was doing battle with God and man at the same time. During an early part of his adult life he could not decide if he should be a “Man of God” or a man that would use his political prowess to make positive changes. The suggestion was made to Wilberforce that he should try both.

Normally, my reply would have been that you can not do both. You work on God’s team or man’s, but there is no doing both. It seemed that Wilberforce had the same general idea. I observed that he did not actually attempt both, but there was a great benefit to mankind when he chose to do God’s work. It seems that when one chooses to do that which is right in the eyes of God, there is quite often a huge gain to those around you, or somewhere in this loony world. Wilborforce never did join a political movement, but rather he led one by simply, and tirelessly doing that which is right. The end result was that the slave trade was eventually ended by the work of a man doing what was truly the work of God. Truly he was an enigma to many around him.

The second story portrayed was that when you are doing that which is right, it matters not who is with you, because you carry on anyhow. I enjoyed the fact that Wilberforce never gave up. Some of those around him gave up in the face of opposition, but he did not. He was not interested in being politically correct (PC), but rather in doing the right things.

That point touched home quite well. Like some of those reading this, I have found out there are many that only work enough, or do certain things, that they may please the PC crowd. There is a great many politicians that live this way. Around us, we will often see local politics, and I don’t only mean the elected types that play to the crowd the same way. At work, school, or other activities, we will often see these things. I would hope we would be a bit more like William Wilberforce and just do the right thing. I like the slogan used by radio Talk host Bob Enyart, “Do right and risk the consequences.” As a matter of fact, I have that slogan posted in my office.

There is another reason to keep on doing the right thing, so that evil does not change you. By far, the worse thing you can do is nothing. When you give up and refuse to fight, you will sooner or later give in. Let me borrow from another song, “The Change” (sung by Garth Brooks):

And I hear them saying you’ll never change things And no matter what you do it’s still the same thing But it’s not the world that I am changing I do this so this world will know That it will not change me

This seems like a good reason to continue the fight no matter what others think.

The third story, that I hope most will get, was that of John Newton. John Newton was a slave ship captain in his younger days. In time, God weighed heavy on his heart the things he was doing was wrong. Newton did what most would not do; he turned away from his evil ways. He repented. He could have simply stopped, and said, “oh well, that’s the way it goes.” Or he could have said, “I was just doing my job.”

Newton went one better. He completely repented and turned away from his sins. He became fully aware of his own state of no grace. Newton went on to become a poor preacher. He discovered that his previous life was one of riches, but he was poor and wretched. Newton’s turnaround was prominent in not only his own life, but in others.

One was a young man who listened to John Newton from when he was a boy. The boy was greatly influenced in the repentance made by Newton, and how he went from slave ship captain to poor preacher. So much so was he influenced that when he entered into manhood, he spent the majority of his adult life engaged in the same fight. That boy, who became a courageous man of his own accord, was William Wilberforce.

Wilberforce was also greatly influenced by the great hymn written by his mentor, John Newton. The song was Amazing Grace.

Here are the original lyrics as written by John Newton:

Amazing Grace

By John Newton

Amazing Grace, How sweet the sound,

That sav’d a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found,

Was blind, but now I see.

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

And grace my fears reliev’d;

How precious did that grace appear,

The hour I first believ’d!

Thro’ many dangers, toils and snare,

I have already come;

‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,

And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.

His word my hope secures;

He will my shield and portion be,

As long as life endures.

Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,

And mortal life shall cease;

I shall profess, within the vail,

A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,

The sun forbear to shine;

But God, who call’d me here below,

Will be for ever mine.

Go see the movie. Look for the stories told. You might just enjoy some of the well developed characters portrayed. Preacher Thomas Clarkson was certainly one of my favorites. I think it reflects some of my own life at times, quirks and all.

Search out to see if you can see the grace that is so amazing.

This article is copyrighted by Gill Rapoza. It may be reproduced so long as it is in full and there is no charge to the reader.

Gill is a family man living in the Southern California desert. He has written articles for several conservative type publications.