Wulfstan

Some people recognize today as the Feast of Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester. He is known for his opposition to slave trade in England. Wulfstan started out as a loyal subject of King Harold, but when William conquered England, Wulfstan became loyal to King William.

It is interesting when patriots quote Romans 13 as a proof that Americans should go to war when the American government says to go to war. We should submit to the governing authorities they say. And these same people see July 4, 1776 as a great day. Yet that day marks a great rebellion against the governing authorities.

And as a result of that day, slavery in America was extended. In England and its colonies, slave trade was abolished over 50 years before America’s Civil War. England abolished slavery with its Emancipation Act 30 years before Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.

So was the American Revolution a good thing or not? What if the colonists had submitted to the governing authorities? Only God really knows. I believe he sees all the possible outcomes and tries to point us toward the right direction. He may even command things that just don’t seem very nice, but they are for the best.

There’s no such thing as the harsh God of the Old Testament. God is the eternal God. He’s just kinda hard to figure out sometimes. Look at this week’s Torah portion. Exodus 13:7 says that God led the Israelites a certain way so that they wouldn’t face war or they might be afraid and want to go back to Egypt. Well, before long Pharaoh comes charging up with his chariots and then later the Israelites get hungry and thirsty and they wish they had never left Egypt. Then the Israelites face war. The Amalekites attacked them.

Fast forward to 1 Samuel 15. Saul is told to totally destroy the Amalekites. Why would a loving merciful God demand such a thing? Well, Saul decides to be more merciful than God. He lets king Agag live. In Esther 3, we see Haman, a descendant of Agag. Haman tried to kill all the Jews. This results in a big war. Some people think that Haman had a descendant named Adolf who tried to pick up where Haman left off. That resulted in a big war also.

Maybe God can see consequences that we just cant see. Our hearts can deceive us. But God knows our hearts. His Word penetrates and judges our hearts.

“Multiply among us faithful pastors, who, like your holy bishop Wulfstan, will give courage to those who are oppressed and held in bondage: and bring us all, we pray, into the true freedom of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns”