The following student report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent Kelcey W. during the 2009-2010 League.
Mission: Read - Book Report on God's Politician by Garth Lean
The title God's Politician may seem like a contradiction, but that is exactly what William Wilberforce was. We remember this man as the catalyst for abolition in England, but his life was much more than that. However, he did not start out on God's path.
William Wilberforce started his career in politics soon after college but at this point was not a Christian. He won several elections and his fame rose, eventually leading him to take the seat for Yorkshire in the House of Commons. This was one of the most coveted seats in all of Parliament, and was certainly not an easy chair to win. A few months after his election, some events and a book Wilberforce read at his cousin's house caused him to seriously evaluate his life. Wilberforce knew he had not been following God's plan and dedicated his life to Christ. After this commitment he intended to drop out of public life for a time, but eventually William Wilberforce determined that God had blessed him with power, and he was not to throw it away but instead use it for God's glory.
This realization brought what would turn out to be a near life-long struggle for William Wilberforce. God, through some activists, placed a burden on his heart; the task seemed impossible, but Wilberforce agreed to try. Though there was some public outcry against it, overwhelming support from shipping and trade made slavery and the transport of slaves a necessary evil. Wilberforce felt he was inadequate to stop slavery, but "could not possibly decline" because he felt "the great importance of the subject." Once Wilberforce began on this campaign to end slavery, it would take him nearly twenty years. He would be hated and loved by the public, and he would lose close friends over the issue. However, he knew ending slavery was worth the cost. He became friends with Pastor John Newton, who had been the captain of a slaver before his conversion. Newton encouraged Wilberforce: “The Lord has raised you up for the good of His church and for the good of the nation.”
William Wilberforce accepted a task that few of us would consider taking. I wonder if he would have gone through with the measures against slavery had he known the cost. I can relate to his uncertainties in the beginning – I would have struggled with God if I knew He was calling me to something as large as end slavery. However, I hope I would have realized, with Wilberforce, that God equips us to do His work in little steps. He does not give us all the wisdom and strength we need for the first march; it is when we get to the battle that we realize that from the time we started to where we are now, something changed. All the trials that seemed so hard at the start actually do not look so formidable now. In a way, this book reflected the message of Do Hard Things: No one is too insignificant or unable to bring about change. We just have to trust God will supply everything we need.
God's Politician was very informative about William Wilberforce. It told about his conversion and ministry in a way I had never heard before. Not only did he fight slavery, he also fought for reform in Parliament and England. Wilberforce was a brave man, for his stands did not always make him a lot of friends. Wilberforce also trusted God and allowed Him to change his heart to fit with His perfect plan. He allowed himself to be used, a vessel for the task of ending slavery. Though he was often sick and weak, Wilberforce has become the ultimate example of a fiery abolitionist. He endured much throughout his life but pressed through his trials and never gave up, even when it seemed all was lost. The author of God's Politician showed that like Wilberforce, anyone can move a mountain, as long as they have faith and trust and obey God.
