18 February 2007

Luke 9:28-43a

John Newton wrote the hymn we are about to sing in a few minutes, a hymn with which you are assuredly familiar. Amazing Grace is a hymn that speaks of metanoia, or change, like none other.

This Sunday has been declared Amazing Grace Sunday and throughout the US and Canada thousands of churches are singing this hymn and celebrating the anniversary of something special. 200 years ago this year, the British Parliament ended the slave trade, putting an end to the horrific trading in human lives. Though unfortunately, slavery still exists in our world with thousands of people still working in conditions today that can only be described as actual slavery.

But it’s also, as it says on your bulletin, Transfiguration Sunday; the day when Jesus and some of his disciples climbed a mountain and Jesus’ figure changed.

So how do we put these two special events together—one an age old tradition of the story of Jesus on the mountaintop and one a new movement to bring about the change in our world that would end slavery.

But let’s talk about John Newton a bit. Newton was a sailor as a young man. He became involved in the slave trade eventually captaining a slave vessel. In 1748, he had a change and converted to Christianity, giving up on the slave trade and eventually studying for and applying to the Anglican Church for ordination. Amazing Grace is thus an autobiographical hymn describing Newton’s own change: “I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.” Newton realized his complicity by being involved in the slave trade and repented of his part in it.

So it’s appropriate that as we think of the modern-day slave trade, we reflect on John Newton and his friend William Wilberforce, the British Member of Parliament who fought to push through the legislation which ended slavery throughout the entire British Empire in 1807. Unfortunately it was too late for the United States where slavery was an integral part of the economy and would not end until the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation, almost 60 years later.

Wilberforce fought against the mores of the day to pass his legislation. It was certainly an uphill battle but through years of campaigning, with friends such as John Newton by his side, eventually won the freedom of all indentured human beings in the British Empire.

It takes a change such as happened to Newton in the course of his life, to come around to fight for societal movement. And unfortunately, even 200 years later, there is a need still for the fight to end slavery.

Change within us is a hallmark of the Christian experience. We can’t all be like Jesus though who climbs a mountain and whose very image is transfigured. Most of us come to a realization, like Newton, that we must change our lives and turn away from old habits and ways of doing things.

Now, I must admit that most of us won’t have a dramatic change such as Newton’s: from sea captain to clergyperson. But our changes may be quieter, more simple but just as forceful.

It could be even as simple as following your Christian faith to lead you to contact your representatives more often about events of our day and age that they have the power to have an effect on. We all can’t be William Wilberforces, residing in a seat of power. But the power of our change is easily translatable to power in our world when we become active on behalf of those who have no voice.

Change is an important part of our faith. Changing from ways that are no longer useful to us; changing to new ways of being, new methods of living out the faith.

The change for us has to come from within; welling up from our souls to effect a change on our behavior and being. Transformation must be first and foremost an internal event, be it for us individually or as a congregation.

But transformation is always needed. We are always in a place in which we can turn from old ways to new methods. It may be from complacency to action, or from an inactive prayer life to one of contemplation and vigorous prayer. Transformation takes deep personal reflection and a willingness to look closely at oneself. Change involves the type of contemplation that delves deeply into one’s soul and seeks out those ways of being that are outmoded. It is not simply navel gazing, looking at oneself just for the sake of looking. It is a seeking; a chance to look at one’s own being and effect that change that will change the world.

We can begin by thinking about world slavery and acting to bring an end to it; by realizing that the slavery of thousands of people in this day and age is not acceptable and becoming the John Newtons and William Wilberforces of our day and age.

On the back table I have put some petitions out that you can sign to end modern-day slavery. Only through the transformation of millions of people to realize these horrific conditions continue into our day and age can global change be affected.

As you think about your own change and ways that you might turn around and bring about transformation in your church, your community, your world, let us stop for a moment and sing John Newton’s hymn that speaks of personal change and God’s grace in making it happen.