Profited richness from human misery

The whole world had gone through many troubles since its creation. Many unpatriotic leaders acquired wealth in dubious and malicious ways even if it demands to eliminate human beings on this planet. Contrary in this deform world also peace lovers tried their best to transform it into better place by sacrificing their own lives to bring to an end miserable suffering.

In 1787 William Wilberforce was astonished when he read the pamphlets that indicated how African slaves from coast of Africa were packed into the dark hold beneath in the ship's cargo, men and women layered like fish packed in brine. Barely they were unable to breathe in a fresh air , for they were placed with the stench of human waste and vomit, they lay chest to back, leg drown into fetal position, feet resting on the heads of those in the next row.

Those who survived these horrible inhuman suffering were also tortured and ill-treated by sailors and few who arrived to England were sold in market places as commodity. These pamphlets were turning point for Wilberforce to fight for abolition of slave trade. When he tried to read Scripture and prayer, this vivid picture, kept his thoughts returning to the pamphlets, grisly accounts of human flesh sold like mutton for the profit of his countrymen. No matter, how he tried to remove this picture in his memory but William Wilberforce could not wipe these scenes from his mind.

It was not so easy for him to argue against one of the nation's most bountiful sources of wealth. For the slave trade was both a successful business and a national policy that became known euphemistically as ‘' the institution'', the ''pillar and support of British plantation industry in the West Indies''.

The people for whom Wilberforce sacrificed his life and energy were  Africans and not British, why? Presumably he was converted to the faith in Jesus Christ, this is the only thing that gave him clear glimpse about the value of human beings who were created in God's image. Despite the war for abolition took him many years, he never gave up the fight until justice prevailed. As a result of his courageous and persistent quest for social justice, finally British government was forced to denounce the slave trade as evil and inhuman, even though it was sources of economical liability for the nation.

If Wilberforce was able to go through turmoil, frustration and discouragement in order to save these poor African slaves who were hopeless and powerless to rescue themselves. Why are we not doing the same thing to save our own people who are being inflicted and terrorized by undisciplined soldiers and war mongers? Failure to reduce human misery may imply that we have no national sentiment or we are not transformed by the faith in Christ. Christian's faith was meant to release people from all kind of captivity and slavery they are in. It is really terrible to hear that Christians who profound Christ are involved in all kind of human misery.

John Newton was involved in the slave trade, and in 1750, was given command of his own ship. On one especially stormy passage to the West Indies, however, Newton was converted to the faith in Jesus Christ. Immediately, he renounced slaving and expressed his wonder at the gift of salvation in his famous hymn ‘'Amazing Grace''. Therefore, if we are truly Christians like the people I mentioned here, we must be willing to challenge all criminal acts that threaten existence of our people. Let's recall that our loved ones had fallen as heroes to liberate our people from oppressive systems that governed Sudan for centuries. Indeed, the struggle for social justice is a collective responsibility for brotherhood keeper to stand up for devastated and unfortunate people to restore their dignity which was denied for centuries. This social justice struggle will not materialize unless we are changed in our minds, like Newton who denounced most prestigious business of the day, for the sake of human survival.

I'm really passionate by what Wilberforce said before the parliament that:'' a private faith that did not act in the face of oppression was not the faith at all''. For this reason any Christian who is involved in the material history of this world is involved in it as representing another order, another master, and another claim. Thus he must plunge into social and political problems in order to have influence on the world not in hope of making it a paradise, but simply in order to make it tolerable, not in order to diminish the oppression between this world and God's kingdom, but simply in order to modify the opposition between the disorder of this world and the order of preservation that God wills for it.

John Wesley one day said: ‘' Unless the Divine power has raised you up to be as Athanasius ‘contra mundum'(means against the world at his time), it will be impossible for you to go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that execrable villainy--- unless God raised you for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils, but if God is before you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? Oh, be not weary of well-doing. Go on in the name of God, and in the power of his might, till human misery shall vanish away before you''. God usually guides and strengthens those who participate in accomplishing his will on earth.

Let social justice activists be encouraged that despite Wilberforce motions for abolition of slave trade was thwarted and sabotage by political pressures, compromise, and personal illness intention, he never gave up the fight until he won the case of abolition. Social justice exert and increasingly bring moral pressure on the political arena of the day. In this regard some people were encouraged to organize the society for education of Africans, the society for bettering the condition of the poor, the society for the relief of debtors. Most of social justice reformers were involved in prison reforms, establishing hospitals, and helping war widows.

History tells us that the man by name Zachary Macaulay gave away all his possessions and died penniless, and he was labeled as ‘' the saint ''. Ironically, people who fought for social justice bore names of saints gladly, considering such distinction a welcome reminder of their commitment not to political popularity but to biblical justice and righteousness.

Hopeful, I think southerners will avoid richness through human misery, by reconsidering our attitude towards our own people, who were mistreated by previous systems. If we are challenged by this passionate concern for humanity, could we not do something to rescue our kinsmen? Could we not do tangible services for our kinsmen survival? What prevents us from feeding the needy people with huge resources we have accumulated? Could we not stop embezzlement of public funds for our own selfish interest for the sake of development of our new nation south Sudan? Could we not avoid murdering our own subjects for political differences? Think how British man fought for setting free African people whom he has no blood relationship, and now we are not able to fight for rights of our own brothers.