Harriet Beecher Stowe was born June 14th 1811. She was born into a family that was not only devoted to education, but was driven toward intellectual excellence. But her family wasn't comprised of "armchair generals" so to speak, they didn't just sit around and imagine what Utopia would theoretically be like. Her family believed that actions speak louder than words, her family was comprised of deeply spiritual people who actively sought to be the healing hands of Christ in this world. To do that, they knew they had to be loud, outspoken, ready to stir the pot and make people think, they had to be agitators. Her father, Lyman Beecher was a zealous preacher, a leader in the temperance movement and president of Lane Theological Seminary. Her mother, Roxana Foote, ran a school for girls and publicly advocated for the intellectual development of women at a time when Society frowned on women receiving college educations. Roxana believed that women could be intellectually equal to men, that women could do anything they set their minds to. Harriet's 7 brothers all became ministers. Her sister Catherine led the women's opposition against President Jackson's Indian removal bill. So, in light of all this, it isn't too terribly surprising that Harriet would be enrolled in the seminary (run by her sister Catherine), where she received a traditionally "male" education in the classics, including study of languages and mathematics. It isn't too terribly surprising that Harriet would grow up to become the author of more than 20 books, and abolitionist who not only spoke out against the evils slavery, but who actually helped slaves escape to freedom along the Underground Railroad. She was living out a family tradition!
On March 9, 1850, Stowe wrote to Gamaliel Bailey, editor of a weekly antislavery journal, that she planned to write a story about the problem of slavery: "I feel now that the time is come when even a woman or a child who can speak a word for freedom and humanity is bound to speak... I hope every woman who can write will not be silent."
Why would Harriet say that? Because she could hear the slaves crying out with the Psalmist;
16 Who will rise up for me against the wicked?
Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?
17 Unless the LORD had given me help,
I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death
Because Harriet knew, that not only is death silent, but silence leads to death. So, she wrote more than 20 books and gave public speeches. She was loudly outspoken in the face of great opposition and anger. It wouldn't surprise me at all to learn that she had received death threats. But she would not allow anger, political pressure or threats to silence her voice, she continued to speak for those oppressed persons who were robbed of their voices, to speak for those oppressed persons whose lives were made a silent living-death.
Her most famous book is "Uncle Tom's Cabin". A book that was an emotional portrayal of the evil consequences that slavery has on families. The book became an international phenomenon, the bestselling novel of the 19th century, not only here in America but in; Britain, Europe, Russia and even China! Not only was Harriet's book loud and outspoken, the people who read it became loud and outspoken. The people of the North celebrated the book by turning it into a play, they were inspired to form abolitionist groups, and even name their babies after characters in the book. In the South, slave owners were outraged. Her work intensified the sectional conflicts that would eventually lead to the Civil War. According to legend, when President Abraham Lincoln finally met Harriet Beecher Stowe, he said; "So this is the little lady who started this great war!"
Unfortunately, Harriet's time is not so different from ours. In her day,Traditionalist type Christians of the South waved the Bible and proclaimed that God's Word had sanctioned slavery. While on the other hand, Christians like Harriet Beecher Stowe proclaimed a new truth, one contrary to traditional readings of the Bible - that slavery was evil. The nation was bitterly divided... Today, we see the nation is just as bitterly divided now as it was then. Actually, more so! Traditionalist type Christians wave the Bible and proclaim that God's word declares homosexuality is evil, that God's Word says; "God helps those who help themselves" and so we should do away with all the safety nets our Society has put in place to protect the weakest members of our society; the elderly, the children, the ill, the mentally ill, the disabled. Often, these same people advocate slave wages.
As a result of these "traditional" voices, Christianity is in a time of great crisis and Church of Our Saviour is in a time of crisis. Recent polls show;
Only 16 percent of non-Christians aged 16 to 29 years old said they have a "good impression" of Christianity,
Only 3 percent of 16- to 29-year-olds who are not of the Christian faith express favorable views of evangelicals. In the previous generation, 25 percent of young people had positive associations toward evangelicals. That is a massive, jaw-dropping 22 percent change!
Half of young churchgoers, hear me! I said half of young CHURCHGOERS, Christians! said they perceive Christianity to be judgmental, hypocritical, anti-homosexual and too political. Also, one-third said it was old-fashioned and out of touch with reality.
Millions of Christians are leaving the Churches every single year... Here at C.O.S., we're facing a financial shortfall of $800.00 a week and the reason is not because we are poor church, the reason is because we have empty pews. Empty pews equals fewer people to fight injustice and keep Christianity alive and vital in the way that Harriet Beecher Stowe and her family did. So now, with Harriet Beecher Stowe I say: "I feel now that the time is come when even a woman or a child who can speak a word for freedom and humanity is bound to speak... I hope every man, woman and child who can write will not be silent."
Speak out against slave wages and for employment at a living wage, speak out against hunger and for the right to feed the homeless without fear of arrest, speak out for poor people to have access to medical treatment, speak out against the injustices of our society. Silence is death, not only for the oppressed, but for all that we love. Let's be a people who proclaim life and life most abundant.
