This weekend blows my mind. It’s one of the least explainable things in human history, yet without it, all we would know is death. But because of a Savior who came, and died, and rose again, we have hope. Indeed, He is making all things new.

Rather than trying to put my thoughts into words, I want to share with you some beautiful things I’ve found this week. As you prepare for this weekend, I hope you’ll take a few minutes to read them.

Hosanna! – Andrew Peterson

“Hosanna” is an old Hebrew word that means “Save us, now!”, which the Jews employed while they waved their palm branches and welcomed the Messiah into Jerusalem for the last time. Only in God’s Kingdom is a cry for help equal to a shout of praise. Read more…

(Also at that link, you can download Andrew’s song Hosanna and a series of beautiful Resurrection meditations from him.)

Peter’s Dilemma - Julie Silander

“And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.” The image sends chills up my spine. I can only imagine what that look felt like to Peter. He loved this teacher, the One for whom he had left his peaceful life as a fisherman. Only hours earlier, Peter had boldly sliced off the ear of a Roman soldier… Read more…

A Plant that Whispers Hope – Al Andrews

In late February, I took a walk in the wooded area behind our home. I went to check on the daffodils whose buds started peeking out due to the unseasonably warm winter. I’m not really sure why I checked on them… Read more…

Easter Week in Real Time – Russ Ramsey 

In John 10, Jesus said, “No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I alone have the authority to lay it down, and the authority to take it up again, and this charge I received from my Father.” This is a statement worth testing. Read more…

I hope you have a wonderful weekend remembering the life, death, and resurrection of the Savior and the hope He brings. Happy Easter.

I spent last month reading Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery by Eric Metaxas. It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read. If you’re interested in learning more about Wilberforce, I’d highly recommend it!

William Wilberforce was a man like no other. He spent twenty years of his life fighting for the abolition of the slave trade—just the trade, not slavery itself. It was another twenty-six years before British slaves were fully and finally emancipated. Throughout those forty-six years, Wilberforce had plenty of reasons to give up, yet he was driven by the cries of men, women, and children who were held in captivity. But was it, exactly, about Wilberforce that gave him the courage he needed to fight the battle of abolition to the end?

William Wilberforce had an uncanny ability to ignore what other people said about him. When he began fighting for abolition, he truly believed that if he only gave people the facts about the brutality of slavery, they would be eager to join him. Although some people responded that way, there were many who had too much invested in the slave trade to turn against it. Their words were intended to harm, and while some of them did, Wilberforce was largely able to ignore them and keep pressing forward. Yet on the other side of this, Wilberforce was also dubbed by one friend as “praise proof.” When flattered, he was able to see through it and keep kind words from going to his head.

While Wilberforce is the person we see when we think about the abolition of the slave trade in Britain, he didn’t fight on his own. He surrounded himself with men and women who shared his worldview and his passions. They called themselves the Clapham Sect. Encouragement and accountability were incredibly important in their efforts to bring social good to England, and they were able to provide that for each other. They lived life in a close-knit community that served as a constant reminder that none of them were fighting for abolition and the betterment of society on their own.

If there is one thing that stands out as most important in Wilberforce’s life and legacy, it is the time he spent secluded with God. He himself said, “Of all things, guard against neglecting God in the secret place of prayer.” It was also his time alone with God and countless hours searching out the mysteries of His word that allowed Wilberforce to understand his purpose. He caught glimpses of God’s heart for the poor, the broken, and the oppressed. This, and the role of Christians as part of the solution, drove him forward into politics and pursuing social reform. Yet he was careful, even in the swirling political world, to take time to refresh himself in God’s presence. It’s the single thing that made him as effective as he was.

But what does that mean for those of us fighting for social reform today? While we easily get caught up in what people think of us, either good or bad, when our eyes are fixed on Christ and on the people He’s called us to serve, the opinions of others will matter less. It’s vital that we surround ourselves with people who share our passions, people who will encourage us, hold us accountable, and run the race alongside us. These things are important, but they will fail us if we don’t sustain everything we do with our relationship with God. William Wilberforce has truly left a legacy, and it’s one worth following. The things that made it possible for him to see his battle through are the very same things that will equip us for our fight.

I had a birthday last week. March 10^th, to be exact. I know at least three other people with March 10^th birthdays. One of them was born the same year as me, too. But there have been others with March 10^th birthdays, people you’ll probably be a little bit more familiar with. People who are interesting. These are three of the most interesting:

Chuck Norris

I have the same birthday as Chuck Norris. Party’s over. You can stop reading now. I honestly don’t know a whole lot about Chuck Norris, but I thought it was super duper cool that he was born on my birthday.

Harriet Tubman

I found out just a few months ago that I also share a birthday with Harriet Tubman. How cool is that? A woman who once was a slave and then did so much to abolish slavery in America. What better legacy is there? But on the flip side of that…

Osama Bin Laden

Yes, ladies and gents, that’s correct. I also share a birthday with a terrorist. A man who has a legacy, one that will be remembered for years to come, but one not worth replicating.

These are people who left deep marks on our world, some for good and others for evil. So as I stand on the brink of adulthood and begin to make decisions that will determine my destination, I get to choose. Which legacy do I want to leave? How do I want to be remembered? What do I want people to say about me at my funeral?

And I’m reminded of the importance of showing up, of being there for people and loving people. I want that to be my legacy. I want that to be how I’m remembered. I want to love people in a way that leaks Jesus all over. I want Him to be my legacy. What better thing could I leave with the world?

Please pardon my absence from this here blog last week. Life got out of hand and there were some things on the ground that needed my time and attention. And with all that going on, and yesterday marking the halfway point, I thought I’d give you an internship update today for a change of pace.

Last week was crazy. I celebrated a birthday (along with some legendary characters… more on that on Thursday), had a surprise visit from my parents, switched host homes, and changed my work schedule a little bit.

Five weeks are gone. Faster than I could say, “I’m going to Northwest Georgia,” I’m looking towards home again. And while it will be good to be back, I’m going to miss this place so, so much. I’m focusing now on soaking up every sweet moment, every nugget of wisdom, every joke.

It’s been a wonderful five weeks. I love what I’m doing, most of which is children’s ministry. I’m grateful for leaders who have opened themselves up to let me walk beside them for a few weeks. And the families in the church have been so loving and so welcoming. It truly feels like home away from home.

As for what I’m learning, right now, it’s grace and how she comes in many forms. I see her in the constant reminder that I can’t earn the love of God, that He loves me even now, the new friend who texts me just to say that she’s praying for me, and learning to say, “I was wrong, and I’m sorry.”

It’s watching leaders take responsibility for their actions, the family who welcomes me in at the last minute, and the friends who go so far out of their way to make sure that I’m able to participate in church life and have a ride home again. It’s an out-of-the-blue invitation to the movies, unexpected gifts from new-old friends, and the reminder that I deserve none of it.

And each of these things tells me, reminds me, that my value goes beyond what I have to offer. It’s a rare and blessed place to find myself, and I couldn’t be more grateful. I can’t wait to see what the next five weeks have in store!

[One aspect of modern-day slavery that I’m studying this semester is how the slave trade and abolition movement throughout history shape how we view slavery today. This week, I’m reading Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery by Eric Metaxas. It’s blowing me away.]

One of the most respectable things about William Wilberforce is the way that he engaged his emotions in fighting injustice without depending on them. He was the one who said,

If to be feelingly alive to the sufferings of my fellow man is to be a fanatic, I am the most incurable fanatic permitted to be at large.

If we’re going to fight injustice, we have to allow ourselves to feel the pain of our fellow men. We have to be vulnerable. But we can’t run on our feelings. After one of Wilberforce’s many defeats, he said this in a letter:

Be persuaded then, I shall still even less make this grand cause the sport of caprice, or sacrifice it to motives of political convenience or personal feeling.

He knew that he couldn’t make his fight about his feelings. He was focused on what was true: human beings, made in the image of God, were being oppressed, bought and sold for the gain of others. As long as he remembered that, it didn’t matter how he felt or what was politically convenient for him.

There are days when I wake up and don’t feel like fighting injustice. It’s not convenient, it certainly isn’t easy, and it’s not going to get easier. We have to be grounded in what is true. When our feelings are engaged, it’s a wonderful thing, but even when they’re not, we fight. We fight because people are worth it, and that’s what is true.