The Life and Witness of Elizabeth Jennings Graham

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
February 24th 2008

Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
"The Life and Witness of Elizabeth Jennings Graham"
Exodus 17:1-7; Romans 5:1-11; John 4:5-42

Reconciliation is a dangerous word. It is dangerous because at its best it can bring transformation and healing out of the most horrific situations but too often it is used to gloss over the weightier matters of injustice. Because of this, we, particularly as Christians, must not let it fall off our tongues casually. In Paul’s letter to the Romans, we are confronted with some pretty unsettling words about the reconciliation found in Jesus. It is a hard passage which reminds us that reconciliation did not come easy. It is an uncomfortable reality to know that Jesus suffered and died on a cross, we much prefer Easter over Good Friday. The cross is a direct challenge to our human tendency to enjoy living in denial and our preferences for social niceties that pacify instead of bringing justice. The cross reminds us, in no uncertain terms, that real reconciliation is built upon the foundation of truth, honesty, hard fought struggles, and even tears.
Jesus’ willingness to sit and speak with a Samaritan Women obviously offended the disciples. Jesus’ has invited an outsider to partake in the living water. And, this invitation is about repentance. But the repentance is not centered upon the woman and her many husbands. Instead, Jesus is after bigger fish as well. To drink from the living waters means that Jews and Samaritans would not only have to drink from the same wells but worship on the same mountain. It meant that Jesus was actually interested in bringing down the walls of hostility between these groups. It would mean that followers of Jesus would include people from across the boundaries established by human beings. This sort of reconciliation, and change was too much for the followers of Jesus.
It turns out that those most drawn in by this radical invitation were the Samaritans. Since their inclusion in this movement was beyond the imagination of these disciples, they helped to educate Jesus on the way things were done. Why were you talking to her? Don’t you know better? Anyway, you look hungry why don’t you eat? That will help you think strait. But Jesus would have none of it. Instead, he invites his disciples, all his disciples, to embrace a ministry of reconciliation that includes Jews and Samaritans at the well of living water. On that day, a Samaritan woman heard that God’s love included her as a full member in the household of God, with all the rights and privileges.
As a child of the Church, I am certain that Elizabeth Jennings knew these stories of the faith. Being raised in the church instilled her with the belief that that her primary identity was a child of God; a full member in God’s household. Born in New York City in 1830, Elizabeth was surrounded by people of influence and power in what was, at that time, the largest community of African Americans in the United States. Her father Thomas Jennings was an important businessman and community leader. It was in this nurturing environment that Elizabeth was able to live faithfully in the larger community which was anything but affirming and welcoming.
It may come as a surprise to find out that buses, as public transportation, predate the invention of cars. In New York City the bus system, such as it was, had a horse drawn rail based bus system which was also segregated. Despite the fact that black members of society owned property and paid taxes, they were not allowed to take the bus. (By the way, if this story begins to sound familiar, don’t be surprised.) On Sunday, July 16, 1854, Elizabeth Jennings; who was a 24-year-old schoolteacher, and church organist, took her stand against the segregated bus system. Her removal and subsequent lawsuit became the catalyst for a movement that ended segregation on the New York Bus system one hundred years before Rosa Parks.
The events of the day were reported in the New York Tribune. "(Elizabeth) got upon one of the Company's cars last summer, on the Sabbath, to ride to church. The conductor undertook to get her off, first alleging the car was full; when that was shown to be false, he pretended the other passengers were displeased at her presence; but (when) she insisted on her rights, he took hold of her by force to expel her. She resisted. The conductor got her down on the platform, jammed her bonnet, soiled her dress and injured her person. Quite a crowd gathered, but she effectually resisted. Finally, after the car had gone on further, with the aid of a policeman they succeeded in removing her." Her actions were even more courageous given the reality that bus drivers carried whips for just such purposes and it appears they were more than happy to use them. Elizabeth was hurt badly in the incident and was unable to attend church or at the organizing rally following the incident. Her willingness to force the issue enabled the movement to gain momentum and bring an end to the unjust system.
It is true that the movement began before this incident, but it was a high point in gaining momentum. Elizabeth did not act alone; she was part of a movement that included such notable New Yorkers as her father Thomas Jennings, the Rev. Henry Highland Garnet, the Rev. Peter S. Ewell, Peter Porter, and her own pastor the Rev. J.W.C. Pennington. Following her assault, Elizabeth sued the rail company for damages and won in a landmark decision. The lawyer hired to argue her case was only twenty-one years old but know for his work with civil rights. His name was Chester A. Arthur, who later was elected President of the United States. Her case enabled others to file their own challenges which finally brought down the segregated New York buses. Her life and witness and the work of that movement, is one which simply must not be lost.
As we come to the end of another February, another Black History Month, a few questions stick in my head. I am wondering where we are? What are we doing? What is this all about? They are questions that have led me to seek more understanding about our community values and practice. One of the values that come to mind is that of maintaining a sense of equilibrium. Our family ethos is not too interested in causing a stir. In times of change and in a changing world it can be a real gift to know a place where we can expect some peace. However, this ethos has another side, a less welcome by-product. Left unchecked, or if it is allowed to become the dominant framework for all we do, it can lead us to gloss over places of real hurts, disagreements, and the uncomfortable parts of our living history. This is most evident in the disappearance of members without reason, or when people are physically present but are not really engaged in the community. This is not unique to Westminster; it is a common feature and struggle for almost all communities of faith.
I believe that our continuing to celebrate Black History month is one small way that can avoid some of the pitfalls of complacency and familiarity with equilibrium. If we are honest about history, celebrating Black History brings us face to face with Americas’ original sin. As we encounter the lives of those who have gone before us we encounter the institution of slavery. And more importantly we are confronted with the ways our church both worked to undermine as well as prop-up this evil. If that is not unsettling, we are not paying close attention. It is easy to cheer for heroes like; Elizabeth Jennings, JWC Pennington, Zora Neale Hurston, John Chavis, and others, but it is another thing to acknowledge that there were others who were like us; bus drivers, slave masters, church leaders, and founders of this country who were all part of the system. It brings us face to face with the hard truth that this history is all our history with its joys and its brutality. By acknowledging it all, we are less likely to gloss over the injustice and hurt going on even in our own midst. It is my hope that we will become more aware of the world right now.
As followers of Jesus Christ, who brought about reconciliation between Jews and Samaritans, we too are called to be people of reconciliation. We can claim multicultural status, and be the most diverse church in the presbytery. This good, but it is not a ministry of reconciliation unless it moves us to encounter the places in this community where we participate in the system of race. It requires our constant willingness to be challenged in our places of ignorance, arrogance and privilege. Only then will we foster an atmosphere of trust in which it is actually safe to challenge one another, to point out the places of hurt and exclusion even despite our best attempts at being nice to one another.
Jesus’ ministry of reconciliation brought him to a violent and vicious death. While we know the good news that his death was not the end, we must not skip over the difficult work. I believe it should serve as the model for own ministry of reconciliation, here at the corner of Union and Delmar. This will be no casual affair. It will require nothing less than a willingness to be completely transformed and become a living communal witness to the power and possibility of the reconciliation promised to the world through Jesus Christ. It is a choice laid before us each day: Will we embrace the ministry of reconciliation or will we settle for just being nice? May God lead us in this difficult and life-giving work. Amen.

"The Life and Witness of JWC Pennington"

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
February 17th 2008

Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
"The Life and Witness of JWC Pennington"
Genesis 12:1-4a; Romans 4:1-5, 13-17; John 3:1-17

When many people think of the great names of the abolitionist movement in the United States one is likely to think of the likes of: William Lloyd Garrison, Harriet Beecher Stowe, John Greenleaf Whittier, Wendell Phillips, The Tappan brothers (Arthur and Lewis), Elijah Parish Lovejoy, and even Susan B. Anthony. It is a distinguished list of folks for which history has much to tell. Unfortunately, the story they tell is a myth that continues to make its’ presence know even today. That myth is this: black folks need white people to save them. Some may protest this assessment as unfair and be quick to add names like Harriet Tubman and Fredrick Douglas. However, their inclusion reinforces this myth because neither was given a full voice in the movement. In fact, Fredrick Douglas had to form his own newspaper so he, and others black folk, could tell the story that they were not sitting around waiting for white people to save them.
This myth is even at work today. When Senator Hillary Clinton said that Martin Luther King Jr. may have cast a vision for a dream, it took a President, LBJ, to make this dream a reality. Whatever her intention, and I will leave that to others judgment, it did play into this age old myth that simply will not go away. In learning about The Reverend Dr. James William Charles Pennington I found that his life was spent in the service of undermining this myth.
The fact that Pennington does not stand as a prominent fixture in the abolitionist movement and in American History is a tragic loss. I have begun to wonder if his exclusion may not be wholly accidental. It is clear that his unmatched intellect, world-wide acclaim, and unwillingness to appease the white abolitionists, made the Garrisons and others jealous and angry. It was this jealously, and Garrisons admitted belief that black people were naturally inferior that certainly contributed to Pennington’s life be unknown to many people.
JWC Pennington was born in 1807 on a plantation, as a slave, on the eastern shores of Maryland. He lived under what many called moderate conditions. Pennington lived with his family and even learned a trade as a blacksmith. But slavery, even so called mild forms, drove him to hitch a ride on the Underground Railroad. His first stop was with some Quakers in Pennsylvania and then finally to Long Island.
During his time in Pennsylvania Pennington recalls learning some important lessons. Or maybe it was unlearning some of the habits learned in captivity. Over those first few years, he gained great self knowledge and began his more formalized education. Pennington, who was born James Pembroke, changed his name and became the man that God had intended him to be: Free.
During his years in Long Island his faith began to mature and take shape under the spiritual guidance of a Presbyterian minister. Because of Pennington’s intellectual and spiritual gifts he was commended for study to become a minister and became the first black man to attend Yale. However, he was not allowed to enroll as a student, to have the books, speak in class, or to participate in any activities. Despite these obstacles he became well read in the classics and gained a firm grasp of Greek and Latin. As a result of his studies, and despite not being allowed to enroll in class, Pennington was licensed as a minister. Throughout his ministry he served Congregational, African Methodist Episcopal and Presbyterian churches.
Pennington’s reputation as a preacher, writer and abolitionist grew quickly. He was a tireless worker for justice and righteousness. He organized official church boycotts of all items produced by slaves and was a leader in the temperance movement. Pennington was also elected twice as president of the Harford Central Association of Congregational ministers – an all white group. Internationally he served as a delegate to the 1849 Peace conference in Paris, and had an audience with Alexis de Tocqueville. His international notoriety led the University of Heidelberg to confer upon him a Doctorate of Divinity.
Dr. Pennington’s lasting achievements really came at the end of a pen. He was a prolific writer but most well known, at the time for two books. His first book was the first of its kind. The Origin and History of the Colored People was the first history of African Americans. It chronicled achievements going back to the Kemetic civilization and Kushite origins. It was a work intended to inculcate a strong sense of self esteem for African Americans. In white academic circles it was seen as a direct challenge to the prominent European claims of superiority.
However, despite the power of that work, his most well known work was an autobiography called The Fugitive Blacksmith. This slave narrative by Pennington was released just as the fugitive slave law went into effect. Its release put him at significant risk. This risk did not deter his commitment to challenge the notion that there was such a thing a mild slavery as well as the belief that it was acceptable for Christians to be involved with slavery. The Fugitive Blacksmith went a long way to challenge these well entrenched beliefs.
After securing his freedom, for $150, Pennington wrote to his former master seeking the release of slaves, some of whom were his family. In the letter Pennington warned his former master that upon his death he would have to stand “at the awful bar of the impartial Judge.” Pennington reminded him that he would to answer to God for his crimes against Pennington and all the people of whom he had enslaved. It was a letter which turned the master/slave relationship on its head.
As a freedman, Pennington was committed to ending slavery, and to freeing American society of the belief that black people were inferiority to whites. He insisted that African Americans play a leading role in the struggle against oppression. His challenges against the institution and economics of chattel slavery was welcome but not so his challenge to the conditions of prejudice and injustice facing black people in the northern states. While he gained notoriety in the world he encountered conflicts with William Lloyd Garrison who was envious of Pennington’s international stature.
He had a calling, which caused him to leave his family and the land he knew behind. He changed his name and followed the path of justice wherever it led. And, Rev. Dr. Pennington spent his life challenging the Nicodemus’ of the world who could not believe that being born again had an impact on things like slavery and politics, and even economics. What began as a simple calling to leave the life of slavery became a life committed to undermining the myths of white superiority and savoir complexes. His is a life and witness that we still need today. And it is my prayer that his life and witness will encourage all of us to embrace our God given talents and abilities, while at the same time remaining committed to challenging and rooting out the remaining remnants of the great American myth of white superiority, wherever it exists. Amen.

What Do You Say at a Time Like This?

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
February 10th 2008

Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
"What Do You Say at A Time Like This?"
2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2; Ephesians 2: 14-22

What do you say at a time like this? The pain, the hurt, the shock and the need to make sense out of the chaos begs for some word. So we start this morning by naming the people who have died and will follow that with a moment of silence: Kenneth Yost, Bill Biggs, Connie Karr, Mike Lynch, Tom Ballman, and Charles Lee Thornton. (Time of Silence). At a time like this we offer prayers for Mike Swoboda who is fighting for his life, and for the continued healing of Todd Smith. At a time like this we stand with all of those who are grieving the loss of loved ones and the witnesses who will carry this experience for the rest of their lives. We need to offer prayers for those who are caught off guard by this horrific act and for those who believe this act was justified.
At a time like this, we must do more than stand in silence. We must speak a word. This tragedy is indeed about a man who had lost himself in rage. The man who is said to have had a smile for everyone was carrying around rage and anger that ended the lives of six people. This is a story about one man and his violent actions, but it is not a story which begins or ends there.
At a time like this, I want to be careful not to give the impression that there is a justification for such actions. To talk about the larger issues, I believe might sound like a justification, or a trivializing of the loss of life. There is a lot of pain and hurt that has impacted many people, including those in this room and in the presbytery. However, I believe if we tell this story as the actions of an angry black man, we cheapen the loss of life and perpetuate a deeply held racial stereotype. I believe to honor the lives lost and to be faithful to our God given calling for reconciliation, we must say something more.
The moment I heard of the tragic event, I began to search the newspapers and internet, and watched the television news programs. I needed to know why. I needed to know what would lead someone to pick up a gun and end the life of others. As I listened as carefully as I know how, I heard many things. These are some of the things I heard from people trying to make sense of this tragedy: I heard that this is just part of the troubled history of Kirkwood and Meacham Park. I have heard that the roots of this can be found in a number of incidents ranging from the handling of the annexation of Meacham Park, to the perception, that is too often confirmed by reality, that there are different rules for whites and black, and even more recently the handing down of the death sentence to Kevin Johnson who killed Sgt. Bill McEntee in 2005. But I have also heard many stories about a loving and idyllic community, lifelong committed public servants and active church members, caring police officers, loving partners, and councilmember’s at their wits end because a citizen had lost perspective.
These are the stories I have heard. I believe that there is truth in all these stories. I also believe that any explanation or any attempt to make sense of this horrible tragedy which ignores any of these stories will not honor the dead. Any attempt to minimize these stories will not bring about the reconciliation so desperately needed.
But, at a time like this, we must wait to talk about the work and process of reconciliation. There will be a time, soon, when we have to stop ignoring the reality of racism, and the ways in which we all are affected, in Kirkwood, in Saint Louis, in Missouri, and in the United States. We must hold close to our hearts the words of Paul. His call to reconciliation grounded in Jesus is our ministry. Jesus broke down the dividing walls of hostility, not simply to bring détente or order but to create a lasting shalom where black folks and white folks, poor folks and rich folks, residents of Meacham Park and Kirkwood can live in a just, and life-giving community where everyone is valued and treated with the dignity and recognition due to a child of God. Soon, this will be the work to which we will have to attend. I believe that if we do not, at some point, move to the work of reconciliation we will be here again. The names, the situations, and scenarios may change but if we do not fulfill the work or reconciliation we will find ourselves here again.
But for now, at a time like this, when we are preparing for funerals, we will pray for the loss of life. We pray for the places of pain, confusion, and for the voices of mourning and lamentation. We pray for compassion and for God’s healing for all. What do we say at a time like this? We show our longing for a day when death will be no more praying: Come Lord Jesus! Come Lord Jesus! Come Lord Jesus! Amen.

A Call to End the Underground Practices

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
February 6th 2008
Ash Wednesday Meditation
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“A Call to End the Underground Practices”
2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Ash Wednesday is a day which is hard to market in our culture, at least if we are really honest about the day. Now, don’t hear me wrong, I am not seeking to add my voice to the many which bemoans the loss of our faith from the places of power. Instead I am simply pointing out that the messages of Ash Wednesday and our culture are somewhat at odds. After all, the highest good is that which meets our personal needs. I say this not to be judgmental but to offer an observation about reality.
Like it or not, the message of Ash Wednesday could not be more counter cultural. Whether we follow the church of the Middle Ages on Ash Wednesday focusing on our sinfulness or whether we focus on the earliest institutional churches practice of focus on baptism, the message is ultimately about repentance, the journey from death to new life. It means, like it or not, that this day is about dying to ourselves and living in the way of Jesus. So in a nut shell the simple reality is that we are part of a faith that is not primarily designed to meet our needs, at least not our consumer driven needs. So, at the end of the day, Ash Wednesday is a call to turn from anything which does not bring life.
Before, I said something about not being judgmental. Well, now I am going to be, or maybe what I mean is that I am going to get preachy. (Maybe that is not a bad thing since I am actually a preacher…) My main point is that it is time for Christians to ignore the words of Jesus from Matthew. Yes, I actually said ignore the words of Jesus. What I mean by this is that it is time for us to stop using those words as an excuse to never share our faith or beliefs. Jesus did not mean for people to hide their faith. Instead, Jesus was saying “NO” to any form or expression of faith disconnected from the ways of justice.
I recently read a book about the movement Students for a Democratic Society and how it became the Weatherman or Weather Underground. While I do not pretend to have any expertise on the subject, I did notice a couple of things which might be instructive. As members of the group went underground the support of people who were not underground was vital. The underground came to an end when they no longer had a clear purpose and become fractionalized trying to take on too many issues at once. After a while, those in the underground began to turn on one another taking focus away from the primary goals. Finally, when the underground went on too long, the aboveground movement became disconnected from those underground.
While the analogy is not perfect I believe there are some things which might be instructive for those of us who are part of the denominations which no longer hold the privileged positions we once held. I liken this move from the places of privilege to a move underground. While there are many problems with this analogy, the biggest is that the movement underground of this wing of the Christian church was not welcomed and was not really a choice. However, as we experienced a loss of position two patterns emerged; one wing joined the movements to reestablish dominance in the public arena and the other joined itself with movements for justice and began to be less vocal and less able to articulate, to the world outside or to their children, their motivations for action. The rallying cry in this wing was the famous: “Preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary us words.” Over time both groups became more and more estranged, divided and confident that the other side was wrong. And in the end, what the outside world knows about our faith seems to be reduced to issues like gay marriage, abortion, and Republican Party affiliation. I believe God is not pleased about this, and I believe God would not be pleased if the only thing people knew about Christianity was that we were Democrats. But friends, we know another story, and it is that story which needs to be brought out into the light.
I believe it is important in a pluralistic culture to find a way to practice our faith in public ways. I know it is a work that is not easily done and loaded with all sorts of troubles but it is time to wade out into this unfamiliar territory and let people know there is more to the story. It is time for us to stand up and give a witness to the wideness in our faith. In other words, I believe we must end the Christian underground.
I must confess that I am bit envious of the Unite Church of Christ’s God is Still Speaking Campaign. I believe it is precicly the sort of thing we ought to be doing. However, it really is only a good start. We must continue to move this work into the pews in order to really ‘Come out,’ and claim the God give calling upon all our lives.
So let us give of the ways of the underground and come out! Come out and tell the story of our faith with our lives and our words. Come out, and let people know that we have faith in Jesus is not built on exclusion or hatred but on love. Come out and show that the love of God in Jesus Christ is the ultimate “No” to war, to torture, to all the ways of violence, and the ways of exclusion, hatred, and fear. Come out! Be bold! Well actually we should be humble since that is part of Jesus calling as well. Just make sure to stand up and be counted doing everything in the love of Jesus who was so opposed to the ways of coercion, oppression, and violence that he would not reply in kind but instead showed his complete commitment to the ways of love.
So let us remember, in these forty days, of the ways in which we are being called to ‘Come Out’ from the places of our captivity and the places where we cooperate with the powers of death in the world. May God open our eyes, minds and hearts so this will be a journey of liberation and new life. Amen? Amen.

The Life and Witness of John Chavis

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
February 3rd 2008

Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“The Life and Witness of John Chavis”
I Timothy 6:3-21

I am deeply troubled by Paul’s words, not the part I actually read, but the first two verses from this chapter of his letter to timothy. That is why I left them out. In case you didn’t look back while I was reading, this is what the apostle Paul had to say:
Let all who are under the yoke of slavery regard their masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be blasphemed. Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful to them on the ground that they are members of the church; rather they must serve them all the more, sine those who benefit from their service are believers and beloved.
I am embarrassed that these are words which are part of the bible. Even more so, I am embarrassed that they come from someone who the church refers to as a saint. Confronted by such passages from scripture I want to follow the lead of Howard Thurman’s grandmother. Once she was emancipated from slavery she would never wanted anything to do with Paul because of the way the white preachers would use such passages to keep the slaves in line. While I do not ignore or hide from Paul, I do, on most occasions work to avoid dealing with such passages from the pulpit. But today, I am going to take it head on, so pray for me.
The life and witness of John Chavis is one which could easily head us into some unwanted territory. After reviewing his life it would be easy to compare and contrast Chavis’ life with that of Nat Turner. Both men were preachers in the American south before the Civil War. Both men had considerable and recognized intelligence. However, Turner went on to lead the greatest slave uprising in American history giving him, at least in some circles, hero status. Whereas John Chavis was born a free man who was no abolitionist and was actually on record as being opposing to emancipation. Given these differences we could fall prey to the easy explanation. However, today I am not going to join with the long history of white men who have, throughout American history, set the boundaries and rules for what is acceptable behavior for black people in this country. Instead, I am going to leave all comparisons between Nat Turner and John Chavis for others. My hope is simply to invite us to hear the life and witness of a rather complex Presbyterian preacher.
Little is known about the early life of John Chavis. It is believe that he was born sometime in 1762 or 1763. The first records of his life indicate that he served as soldier, with honor, in the American Revolution for three years. Sometime after he married Sarah Frances Anderson, with whom he had one son. Chavis then moved to New Jersey and was privately tutored by John Witherspoon, President of the College of New Jersey. Chavis’ intellect drew the attention and admiration of this signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Upon John Witherspoon’s death, Chavis moved to Liberty Hall Academy, which later became Washington and Lee University. He was the very first black person to graduate from any American University, north or south. When Chavis graduated with high honors in 1800 he began a career as a Presbyterian minister. The early part of his ministry was spent as a traveling preacher. He gained quite a reputation serving in white and black congregations. It is clear from the writings of those who heard his preaching that his was a gifted orator.
Chavis was also well connected. He was a frequent visitor in the homes of the southern aristocracy. Chavis used these connections to open a school for white and black children. His great passion was clearly that of teacher. For a time he experimented with integrated education. However, the white southern aristocracy ended this experiment. Unwilling to slight his black students he continued to teach them the same curriculum at night. Chavis was sought out by many for his teaching abilities. Many of his white students came from the most elite families of the southern aristocracy and his pupils included future political leaders such as U.S. Sen. Willie P. Mangum of North Carolina, North Carolina Governor Charles Manly, and New Mexico Governor Abram Rencher.
In 1831, in reaction to the slave uprising led by Nat Turner, all slave-holding states passed laws that forbade black people from preaching. As a result Chavis was forced to give up his preaching and his teaching. However, the presbytery continued to keep him on the payroll until his death, and continued to support his widow until the date of her death in 1842. Despite the end of his active teaching and preaching Chavis continued to have influence with his former pupils.
It seems that he had a rather close relationship with Senator Magnum of North Carolina. He was a regular visitor to the home and from the private correspondence a strong advocate for his political beliefs. In the letters his tone is never deferential, and is in fact like that of a mentor to a student. Chavis chastised the Senator for his political decisions and even called him to account over the choice of curriculum used in the education of the Senators children.
John Chavis only lived a few years after being barred from teaching and preaching. Some believed that he began to be more vocal and open in opposition to slavery while others are unsure. Whatever he was doing, it is clear that he had become seen as a possible threat to the established order.
When we look back at figures in history it can become easy to turn people into heroes and villains. However, the harder task is to look at those who have come before us, those who are part of the great cloud of witnesses, and see them for the complex human beings they were. Whether is it the disciples who never seem to get what Jesus taught, or Paul who seemed to have trouble with women but not with slavery, or even Presbyterian preacher and teacher who seemed comfortable with the enslavement of his own people, we know that these faults are not the end of the story. In recognizing this reality we can finally begin to recognize that we too are just as complex, just as open to these and greater failings. But the good news is that God used each one of them to make a difference in the world and God can do the same with each one of us. Amen.