State Representative Sally Kern will be speaking at the Grove Civic Center January 12 at 7 p.m.  Representative Kern is a Christian.  She is a legislator.  She is the wife of a pastor.  She is a mother and a former school teacher.  Her passion for righteousness in the public arena will challenge all of us.

She will be calling Christians to get involved in the political process and let our voices be heard.  It’s about time. 

For much of the 20th century, Bible believing Christians hid behind the walls of the church building and stayed away from politics and leadership. Some did it because they thought the political process was dirty or evil.  Some thought it simply unspiritual and believed we should restrict our activities to soul-winning and missionary work.  Others thought the return of Christ was eminent and we did not have time to waste in such pursuits.

Thankfully those attitudes are changing and we believers are reemerging.  Leaders like Representative Kern are taking their rightful place in our government and society. 

It really is our heritage.  One of the heroes of the evangelical faith is William Wilberforce.  Lord Wilberforce was a member of the British Parliament for over 40 years.  Converted as a young man, he realized that God was calling him to a lifelong crusade to end the slave trade in the British Empire.

In the beginning, it seemed an impossible task.  Much of the economy was built around the slave trade.  Many of the members of Parliament and most of the wealthy businessmen of the country relied heavily upon the slave trade for their income. 

Wilberforce was ridiculed and shouted down time after time as he introduced bills to restrict and eventually outlaw slavery.  He was told to keep his religion to himself.  He was told religion is fine as long as it doesn’t interfere with business. 

He and his fellow laborers were lampooned in the press and ostracized by their peers.  But they pressed on.  At times it seemed the cause was lost and they would never succeed.   One of Wilberforce’s most prized possessions was a letter he received from John Wesley at a time when the prospects of success seemed almost gone.  Wesley encouraged him to continue the fight because it was just and right, and so he did.

As Wilberforce and his friends worked to eliminate slavery, they were also involved in projects to print and distribute Bibles, send missionaries to unreached peoples and promote revival and moral reforms in England.  They worked tirelessly and spent their fortunes for the cause of Christ. 

After more than 20 years, Wilberforce saw the tide of political opinion turn and he was successful in pushing through the bill to outlaw slavery in England.  But that was only the first step.  He worked almost 20 more years to bring an end to slavery in the entire British Empire.  It was literally on his deathbed that William received the news that slavery and all its accompanying evils had finally been eliminated. 

Ours is a legacy of heroes.  Christians through the ages have campaigned for reforms to eliminate child labor, restrict child prostitution, build hospitals, schools and orphanages, and end pagan sacrifices of children in foreign lands.  Literally millions of poor people have received help from Christians down through the ages.

Christians in the 21st century are standing up, speaking out, and making a positive difference.  Please join us at the Grove Civic Center on Thursday January 12.