Freedom through Jesus Christ and Brotherly cooperation.

Memories of Aunt Lydia are sweet and lovely. An occasional whiff of an odor or fragrance can send me right back to her kitchen with the mismatched cupboards, pie safe, stand-alone sink, and coats hung behind the back door. Through either doorway sat the small dining table, jams, jellies, butters, and condiments were gathered to the center of the table, and an oil-cloth neatly covered it all. To the side was a smaller roll-top desk, always open because there were just too many papers to close it. Not just bills, but writings and plans for the next garden club she began some 30 years before and often hosted; then there were several articles waiting to add to the local paper column she had been writing for several years; and, of course, 4-H papers for the many lives she impacted, along with many cards of thanks for her selfless work.
How sweet these memories were as I think back on the summers I spent with her as a teen, and my mind treasured and carefully put away as the sweetest of memories. These memories are sweet beyond saying, and they have had a significant impact on who I am today. Grandma Buttolph, although I barely knew her, also made an impact on my life that has influenced me to this day. And the stories through the diary of my Great, great Grandfather, Rev John Buttolph, makes my heart swell with gratitude for my heritage.

But, what if the family stories passed down had been of slavery, of cruel and humiliating treatment on a daily basis, with every day filled with hard, back-breaking work, and no thanks given, as the work benefited a 'massa' and his family, while Great, great Grandparents  returned to accommodations unfit for animals. What if those memories were of a child's Momma being 'sold' like cast-off merchandise and the child ripped away from his Momma's side and given to others who were so beaten down they had nothing of kindness to give. What if my stories had been of my Great, great Grandmother being whipped until blood flowed to the ground because she refused to give her body to whomever it may have been demanded.
These are stories that throb in the terrible memories of many people who are our neighbors, and we do not understand what drives them because we have chosen, over the decades, to remove history from our schoolrooms.

Yet, what if we could bring out the true history of this mass injustice, and see a people who often put all their life on the line to escape enslavement, and with great courage, set their hearts to escape their captors and find a new life!  Many did not survive such a venture, either by death, or a return to the living nightmare of forced hard labor and certain torture for even considering escape. Death, was indeed, preferable to forced labor, and solely for the benefit of another. Then their was great courage as those who did escape returned to help others find a way out of their living hell.
Where did this courage come from? Courage, justice, kindness, and civility come solely from God Almighty, through Jesus Christ, who is the one and only original source of civilization, because He is the Creator of all, and saved humanity through His sacrifice for our sins. Freedom and the Judeo-Christian faiths are inseparable, historically so, and can be seen throughout the past thousands of years.

As we learn, and pass along, this three-fold history of Black and White cooperation, and love of Jesus Christ, we can build bridges where division seems nailed in place.

"It is evident that the white and black “must fall or flourish together.”

"It is evident that the white and black “must fall or flourish together.” In the light of this great truth, laws ought to be enacted, and institutions established — all distinctions, founded on complexion, ought to be repealed, repudiated, and forever abolished — and every right, privilege, and immunity, now enjoyed by the white man, ought to be as freely granted to the man of color."   John Fairfield, died c. 1861.

   John Fairfield grew up on a Plantation in Virginia; a favorite childhood friend was Bill, a slave, 'owned' by his uncle. As a young man, John, traveled to Ohio, a slave-free state, taking Bill with him. Through the years John and Bill had secretly spoken of helping Bill escape to Canada where Bill would be free from any threat of being enslaved, and could build a life, a home, and a family.
   John devised a plan for Bill to take one of John's uncle's horses at night and meet at a pre-determined place, then head north under cover of night. While details of their travels were not given, it can be assumed they moved freely about, posing as slave and owner until they reached Canada, where Bill did indeed build a new life.
   For twelve years John helped thousands of enslaved people escape the inhumane life of enforced hard labor, continuing to gather information of the whereabouts of traded and lost family members who were united, sometimes after many years. Most of these people John was not able to take openly as He had with Bill, and at one time taking as many as 28 on one trek!
   John kept his journeys secret and was able to go to various Plantations posing as a slave trader, all the while passing the word among the slaves to prepare to leave on a particular night, meeting and taking off for the north country.
   His tactics would have to change as Plantation owners would become suspicious, but still he did this for twelve years! He was, indeed, arrested several times, but his affiliation with Free Masonry set him free. Although not mentioned in the articles about him, he must have made good use of the Underground Railroad many times; both free Blacks, and white, were, without question, necessary for the escape of these courageous men and women! Every few miles, through several states, a home would be prepared to hide these people during the day, sometimes for several days, even weeks, as they were hidden from bounty hunters. The travel was difficult, especially for the old and very young; but the thought of living as free men and women kept their hope burning!
   Most of these brave souls were Christian, as Jesus gave them His hope, and His guidance and wisdom, through the many very real, life-threatening dangers! To return to slavery was unthinkable, and some took their own lives rather than return to forced labor and cruel taskmasters.

 Many articles on slavery and abolition, it is said outright, or heavily suggested, that it was a small minority of whites that helped end slavery.  This is simply not true and is a great divider! The record must be set straight, and from original records! History based on anything other than original documents is mere opinion, and is false, misleading, and damaging to society and individuals.

Lives used up in the fight for freedom for others

Today we are a nation divided, and a country united!  We are divided by ignorance of history, and by men who are set on making a name for themselves at the expense of everyone around them.  We are united by the civility of Jesus Christ, who transforms hate into love in the lives of individuals, and so into a nation that sends out the love of God.
   History does indeed matter, and knowledge, or lack thereof, will make or break a nation. That thought is not extreme, and this very issue of national destruction is found in a familiar Bible passage, which deals with a nation falling because history was forgotten.  Hosea 4:6,  ''My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.'' That passage goes on to say that the people failed to remember their history, and failed to remember their God; He, the first Historian, repeatedly, repeatedly, told His people to set up memorials and tell the meaning of God's involvement among all peoples, to tell of His Wonders as He cared for His people, of the travels of His people wherever they went because He was always with them, even into captivity. God repeatedly told His people to tell their children, and tell the aliens among them of the history of God among His people. But the people forgot.
   Today we have asked Jesus Christ to leave our schools, to not let many of our public school children, across the nation, hear the name of Jesus Christ, nor to hear most of world and national history. Thank God for the exceptions, for those who still fear and honor Jesus Christ!
   One huge portion of history we have lost, and which now divides our nation, is the vast number of Americans who opposed slavery in the 1800's, and the large number of books, newspapers, and other publications. which entreated Americans, with great pleading and emotion, to end the immoral and hideous practice of slavery!  Far too many of the descendants of those enslaved in our nation during that disgraceful period of our history do not realize the huge numbers of Americans that were responsible for ending of slavery.
   One of the heroes of the enslaved American was Elijah Parish Lovejoy.

Elijah P. Lovejoy,
Editor Alton Observer,
 1802 - 1837.
A Martyr to Liberty.



"I have sworn eternal opposition to slavery, and by the blessing of God, I will never go back."

Elijah Parish Lovejoy was a Presbyterian minister,  and champion of freedom from slavery, and free speech, Elijah Lovejoy, lived but 35 years, and in that time he published a newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri, called the St. Louis Observer, where his print press was destroyed the first of four times, and in Alton, Illinois, where in his 35th year, drunken pro-slavery mobs destroyed Lovejoy's print press three more times, and he was killed at the destruction of his fourth press.

     ''I am threatened with violence and death because I dare to advocate, in any way, the cause of the oppressed. Under a deep sense of my obligations to my country, the Church and my God, I declare it to be my fixed purpose to submit to no such dictation. And I am prepared to abide the consequences.''

   These were no idle words, he was prepared, as many were, to use up his life for the gaining of freedom for others, and others who would seldom, if ever, have a chance to repay him for his dedicated work on the behalf of those he did not know, but from the kindness of Almighty God in his heart, to give all.
   He was called , ‘Champion of Freedom'.  His murder made clear that slavery could not be ended peaceably because slavery brought in too much money and too much free labor; unruly and lazy men worshiped at the altar of easy money. Indeed, the vast majority of slaveholders were men determined to have free labor and easy money on the broken backs of their fellow countrymen, who were the descendants of the African and the Irish, shipped like disposable merchandise to the American colonies.
   Many newspapers, books, and smaller publications, reached the heart of the American people  who then supported the civil war and the Emancipation Proclamation; and Elijah Parish Lovejoy's martyrdom was one of the events that gripped the heart of the people into action.
   After Elijah Lovejoy died, his brother, Owen Lovejoy, took his place along side the many other abolitionists who daily risked their lives to free the Americans enslaved.

Sources:
National Abolition hall of Fame and Museum
Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass: The Story Behind an American Friendship by Russell Freedman
Distilled History, 2013 award of the year's best personal blog by RFT
Wikipedia

Overcome evil together

   The Underground Railroad could not have succeeded without the close association, and gut-level courage and conviction, of both White and Black to assist those wanting the freedom to breathe free air!
   We must be reminded of our true history, we must look back at heroes of the past and reflect on their words, such as these of Frederick Douglass. Mr. Douglass was born into slavery, taught himself to read after his 'master's' wife had begun to teach him, and escaped as a young man to freedom.

     "I base my sense of the certain overthrow of slavery, in part, upon the nature of the American Government, the Constitution, the tendencies of the age, and the character of the American people; and this, notwithstanding the important decision of Judge Taney. I know of no soil better adapted to the growth of reform than American soil. I know of no country where the conditions for affecting great changes in the settled order of things, for the development of right ideas of liberty and humanity, are more favorable than here in these United States.

The very groundwork of this government is a good repository of Christian civilization. The Constitution, as well as the Declaration of Independence, and the sentiments of the founders of the Republic, give us a platform broad enough, and strong enough, to support the most comprehensive plans for the freedom and elevation of all the people of this country, without regard to color, class, or clime."

Speech on the Dred Scott Decision
Frederick Douglass
May 1857

   Please note what Mr. Douglass says here...he gives credit for his hope of a unified America to the foundation of a Christian civilization. Jesus Christ is the one and only original source of civilization.

   He also gives credit to the American government, the Constitution.....and to the American people; the majority of the American people recoiled at the thought of slavery, and Harriet Beecher Stowe's ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'', and  Mr. Douglass' ''My Bondage and My Freedom'', and many other abolitionist's publications, informed the people of the United States of America of the true plight of the enslaved, and the American people rose up, and enabled President Abraham Lincoln to free the enslaved through a very bloody war and the Emancipation Proclamation, Truly, it was a minority of people who sucked the life out of others for the purpose of free labor on their large farms.

   We must tell these stories, and we must truthfully teach our children the history of these Blessed United States, and shut down the 'politically correct' and the divisive self-serving, self-promoters who have their agendas in mind only for the purpose of their own gain at the expense of any and all who are unfortunately in their way.

   God Bless America, and thank God for this nation of freedom!

 

Stronger Together

   America, you have lost your history, and have become so undereducated you do not realize the great danger you now face.
   One danger of our ignorance is found in Ferguson, Missouri, and spreading across our nation.
   The divisions between Black and White are widening because we have forgotten the impassioned cooperation of the Black and White to free fellow countrymen, women, and children from the cruel and self-serving trade and ownership of human beings in the 1700-1800's.
   The stories not only tell of people sacrificing enormous portions of their lives, but also have one common denominator that we in America are letting slide away from our schools, society, and government, and that is Jesus Christ.  While some slave owners claimed to be Christian, their lives tell an entirely different reality, and distort the image of our Great and Wonderful God that prompted the abolitionists to work so tirelessly to give these Americans the fresh air of freedom!

   A man named Vestal Coffin was one of thousands of heroes who worked many years to help those who were enslaved to reach free states or Canada. Mr. Coffin organized an Underground Railroad station in North Carolina in 1819; his young teenage son, Addison, and a cousin, Levi, risked their lives repeatedly to help those who were willing to try and reach freedom.

   William Lloyd Garrison was editor of ''The Liberator'', an anti-slavery newspaper which ran from 1831 to 1865, here is an excerpt from his first issue...

     ''I am aware that many object to the severity of my language; but is there not cause for severity? I will be as harsh as truth, and as uncompromising as justice. On this subject, I do not wish to think, or speak, or write, with moderation. No! No! Tell a man whose house is on fire to give a moderate alarm; tell him to moderately rescue his wife from the hands of the ravisher; tell the mother to gradually extricate her babe from the fire into which it has fallen;—but urge me not to use moderation in a cause like the present. I am in earnest—I will not equivocate—I will not excuse—I will not retreat a single inch—AND I WILL BE HEARD. The apathy of the people is enough to make every statue leap from its pedestal, and to hasten the resurrection of the dead.''
.
   At least once he escaped being hung by a pro-slavery mob, and he continued to risk his life daily to help free people from the satanic business of slavery.

   There are hundreds, if not thousands, of stories to be set before the eyes of the America public and bring healing to our land; through Jesus Christ, and through the stories of His liberating Hand!

   


 

Dragons, really ?

 

     To me it seems rather odd that the existence of dragons has ever been in question, and the reason many think they were mere fantasy seems to be that they have mostly been associated with what we have known as Fairy Tales. The Brave Prince fighting for the Fair Maiden against the fierce dragon! Beowulf, in recent years, was a very violent movie about this ancient hero, but it is unfortunate that the story was so fictionalized because the true story would have been much more intriguing!  The story tells of a king, an unusually kind king, who defends his people against a dragon terrorizing his people, he fights the dragon and kills it but the king is unfortunately bitten and dies.
This was, perhaps, much like a Komodo dragon, but with some distinct differences. There are pictures, carvings, and various images from all over the world of dragons!  They are all quite similar,; the head looks like a sea horse, the body snake-like, scaly; and some with wings.
Fire breathing?  Job 41 tells of a large dragon-like creature that breathes out fire and smoke, especially verses 18-21....
       18 Its snorting throws out flashes of light;
    its eyes are like the rays of dawn.
19 Flames stream from its mouth;
    sparks of fire shoot out.
20 Smoke pours from its nostrils
    as from a boiling pot over burning reeds.
21 Its breath sets coals ablaze,
    and flames dart from its mouth.
Most legends have a base of fact, and dragons have far more evidence than many legends we accept as true.
So, why are the stories of dragons, werewolves, and other ancient stories, in the last posting, so important?  Because, if these stories are true, then the historians who reported the stories can be relied on to tell the truth.  This is vital to the history our ancestors lived, they have something of great value to pass on to us if what they have recorded is true, and then, it is a history we urgently need to heed in our own day.
The next posting will tell of the travels of our ancestors. Ancestors of all of us, you may ask...likely not, yet, a great deal many of us, and it is our heritage!

Let's talk dragons

   Everyone 'knows' fire breathing dragons are just myth. right? And ,of course,  Leprechauns...wolf-men, tree-men, two-headed people, up-side down headed men, sea serpents? 

   Let's look into the lives of a typical family in, say, 15th century Europe; they have six children and are anticipating a seventh. We must realize this family lives in an area filled with fear and superstition; the Church was here briefly, but two missionaries have already been run off because the favored leader of the group says they only caused trouble when they were in charge years before. Just the week prior, this leader 'saved' the entire community by hanging a witch that had caused a storm that blew down trees and damaged crops. How did he know she was a witch?  She was laying out clothes on the grass to dry on wash day, and just before the storm came, she was seen dancing in her backyard! Of course she brought the storm! Well, you get the idea. In reality, hundreds of thousands of people were killed by their neighbors this way in Medieval Europe because of superstitious fear.

   Now, for our family.  Mama worked with the girls in the garden; the boys helped Papa with the animals; work was hard and even the youngest had his chores to do. As they worked Mama and Papa watched carefully for dragons that were said to eat small animals, even children! And, of course, they must watch to see that their children don't anything out of the ordinary. There was also talk of a group of farmers being invaded by robbers not too far away. This family, as their neighbors, live in constant fear from many different directions. 

   Mama says it is time for the new child to be born! The oldest girl is now old enough to help Mama birth the baby, if nothing goes wrong, and nothing has before. All goes well and the new baby...is born.  The older sister suddenly runs to fetch Papa, she doesn't know what else to do! Something is wrong with this baby! There is hair all over its face and much of its body! Papa says to quickly take the child out into the woods and leave it to die!  The older sister, greatly fearing someone will see her, does just as Papa says. Now, they go on as nothing has happened; if someone asks, say the child died before it was born, and perhaps the leader will not demand their house be burned!

   What a horrid story, you may say, and indeed it is!  Surely nobody ever lived like this!  I'm very sorry to say that they did indeed live like this without the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and amid a great deal of folktale and superstition!

   So what happened to the child? Certainly she died! Or did she?  Was she perhaps found by a small band of those who had the misfortune to be born with a rare birth defect and superstition had many names for them. Monsters. Half devil. Cursed of God. Whatever the name they lived in caves or abandoned buildings, wherever they could find a place. And, of course, they kept out of sight of anyone else! But as hunger drove them out at night to steal a chicken or a cooling pie, someone was bound to catch a glimpse of them, and ,oh, the stories that sprang up from such a sighting! The stories would be told again and again, of werewolves ( a condition we now call  hypertrichosis in which hair grows all over a persons body ), Leprechauns ( Primordial Dwarfism is a condition that can result in a person being born with extremely delicate features and a body that may not grow any more than 2 feet high), two-headed monsters ( I have followed the story of two very delightful girls who do indeed share one body! A very extreme case of Siamese Twins). Just recently I saw a grown man whose head lay flat against his back! 

   Today, we help these people through surgery, physical therapy, and whatever means now available, but this has not always been the case. Thankfully, Christianity has whooshed away most superstition and given dignity to many more of God's Beloved people!

   Yes, indeed, this very scenario likely happened many times over. And my point?  Ancient historians told of stories like this and were disregarded as mere story tellers, and these same historians told stories of Biblical heroes; so if these stories were true, then so were the stories of miracles done by monks, priests, and others by whom the Holy Spirit of God showed Himself loving to those who believed.

   And who do some of these ancient historians say first inhabited Britain so long ago? A man named Samothes, a son (or grandson) of Japheth, son of Noah. A 15th century historian, Annius Of Verterbo, an official of Pope Alexander VI, found some fragments written by Berossus, 290 BC, who wrote 'The History of Babylonia', and also wrote of the early history of Britain, in his writing, "Celtica". 

   Oh, yes, dragons.   Um, next time!