36. John Brown's Holy War
I've been guilty in the past of talking about historical figures doing really awful things and making comments like "they were a reflection of their time" meanwhile, other men and women of their time- knew it was wrong and fought against it. A great example of this is John Brown. John was a devout Christian, and a staunch abolitionist. In fact, he was an abolitionist who so firmly believed that slavery was a violent sin against humanity that he was willing to use any means necessary to end it. Even now, we live in an era where white washers of history want to act, and teach kids that slavery "wasn't that bad". That human trafficking, rape, kidnapping, beating, torture, forced labor, medical experimentation on an entire community because of their skin tone "wasn't that bad".He famously said, "The crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away, but with Blood". And he was right. How much do we believe in the things we say we do? Are we willing to let it cost us? Are we brave enough to stand for human rights no matter what? I hope I am. John's story inspires me and calls me to account. How dare I be afraid or tempted to cower when others have sacrificed so much. Excited to share this story with you !