Creating The Better Hour�

Becoming a “WilberFORCE”

Creating THE BETTER HOUR is a movement inspired by William Wilberforce  (1759-1833) who is a model of how a person of faith and passion can change the world for the better without a lot of money and without a lot of people. His life and example can be a source of hope and of inspiration for everyone who desires to leave the world a better place by living out their faith as “salt” and “light” in society.

When the 18th century English poet William Cowper penned his sonnet in tribute to the great Parliamentarian, abolitionist, and man of faith William Wilberforce, he wrote, “the better hour is near”. Cowper didn’t say “a” better hour is near as if there could be many. He said “the” better hour. That is what Wilberforce accomplished in his lifetime.

Who is William Wilberforce and what did he accomplish?

William Wilberforce was the member of Parliament in the late 18th century and early 19th century who was not content merely to observe and criticize the very self-indulgent, crude, and decadent world of the 18th century. Instead, he help to lead it to a much more civilized place—a place that became Victorian England. What did he do?

• Over twenty difficult years, he led the campaign to abolish the British slave trade. His effort culminated in the passing of abolition legislation in Parliament in March of 1807.
  
• He led England toward the emancipation of all slaves in the British Empire. He received word just days before he died in July 1833 that all slaves in the British Empire would be given their freedom by an Act of Parliament.
  
• He worked for universal education—particularly for the poor
  
• He found it intolerable that children were drafted to work sixteen to eighteen hours a day, six days a week, and so he initiated the first child labor laws in Britain.
  
• He helped to pass prison reform laws.
  
• He founded and supported numerous volunteer societies to better the culture—including the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
   

Salt and Light

When William Wilberforce sought to follow Jesus Christ more closely, he first thought that he needed to withdraw from the world. Yet he also knew that he was called to do what only he could do to create the better hour. The words of Jesus during the Sermon on the Mount, showed him just what all believers are asked to do:

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:13-16

Wilberforce provides a powerful example of how a disciple of Jesus Christ can be salt and light—especially in a tasteless and darkened world.

1. Wilberforce found his purpose in life and fulfilled that purpose. He wrote one of the greatest personal mission statements ever written. On Sunday, October 28, 1787, he penned in his journal “God Almighty has set before me two great objects, the suppression of the Slave Trade and the reformation of manners.” Once Wilberforce had penned his mission statement, there was no turning back on abolishing the slave trade or the reformation of manners (social morality). He would not turn back no matter what the cost. He had to be involved. Many believe that this dogged dedication to his mission in life may even have cost him the office of Prime Minister.
   
2. Wilberforce did not give up. Once engaged, he was patient and persistent. Despite frailty and ill health, Wilberforce had enormous endurance, and he never quit. After his announcement of his intention to abolish the slave trade in 1787, not a year went by that he did not push the bill to eliminate the slave trade. Each year, despite opposition, personal vilification, and even death threats, Wilberforce proceeded onward on his mission. It took nineteen years of rejection to get abolition of the slave trade passed. It took another twenty-six years to achieve emancipation for all of the slaves in the British Empire. Wilberforce’s persistence was in sharp contrast to that of Thomas Jefferson. In one of the original drafts of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson made three accusations concerning the evils of the slave trade against the King of England. Yet, when others objected to Jefferson’s accusations, Jefferson withdrew these charges and never again publicly pursued the slavery issue. In contrast, as a matter both of principle and of faith, Wilberforce flew in the face of the objections of others. He constantly and consistently pursued the question of slavery and its abolition.
   
3. Wilberforce engaged his friends in his work. Wilberforce worked within a circle of friends, and he leveraged his network of contacts. He surrounded himself with people of various backgrounds that all proved helpful: Grenville Sharp, a lawyer; Thomas Clarkson, a young graduate from Cambridge University who had just won a writing contest; Hannah More, a well recognized and talented playwright; William Pitt the Younger, the Prime Minister; Henry Thornton, a wealthy banker; John Venn, the pastor of his local church; and many others. Wilberforce understood the power of friends gathered in community to overcome obstacles to the better hour.
   
4. Wilberforce invented issue campaigning. In today’s political and social environment, everyone is aware of the power of the public campaign. Lance Armstrong’s LIVE STRONG bracelet is an example that focuses attention on his cancer foundation. Such campaigning was virtually invented by Wilberforce and his friends, to build public awareness and popular support for the abolition of slavery. Wilberforce went to Josiah Wedgwood, the famous ceramicist, and asked him to develop a logo for the anti-slavery campaign. Wedgwood created a beautiful medallion. At its center was the image of a kneeling slave bound in shackles. Inscribed around its edge was the burning question: “Am I Not a Man and a Brother?” This simple ceramic plaque generated nationwide discussion of the moral status and human dignity of the slaves. Even though at the time women could not vote, they wore the anti-slavery cameo on their clothing to show publicly their support of abolition. This logo appeared on everything from dinner plates and furniture to snuff boxes. Wilberforce and his friends used fashion to promote justice.
   
5. Wilberforce founded volunteer societies to carry on the work of reform. He began or supported over sixty-nine organizations (like today’s not-for-profit charitable associations) to carry on his work of changing the manners, or morals, of England. These societies included the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, societies in support of education, what has now become the Bible Society in England, and many others.
   
6. Wilberforce was a man of solid character. In his early life, Wilberforce was formed by the trends of his times. But once he turned to Christianity, he began to actively develop his character along the lines of a biblical worldview. He spent the first hour and a half each morning in prayer and in reading the Bible. Two of his favorite books of the Bible were the Letter to the Galatians and the Letter to the Colossians. It was there that he found the cornerstones of his own character—compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, forgiveness, and love. For example, Wilberforce had a strong temper and an exceedingly deft wit accompanied by sharp tongue. In Parliament, he used these to his advantage. Once, at the urging of his friend William Pitt to “tear the enemy to pieces,” he savaged Pitt’s great political rival, Charles Fox. After his great change, however, Wilberforce struggled to control his temper and soften his sharp tongue. The same Charles Fox he had so upbraided in the House of Commons actually became his great ally in the fight against slavery.
   
7. Wilberforce lived the Christian life and shared his faith with others. Not only did Wilberforce foster a Christian way of life in his own household, he willingly shared that life with his community of friends. In addition, he used his gift for writing to urge others to turn to Christ. Wilberforce knew that in his great task of reforming society, he would need to change hearts as well as minds. He needed to express to others what drove him to work for the better hour for society. In 1793, he began writing a book with a very long title—A Practical View of the Prevailing Religious System of Professed Christians in the Higher and Middle Classes in this Country Contrasted with Real Christianity. When the book was published, as Wilberforce biographer Garth Lean reports, it had an electrifying effect. “It was read at the same moment by all the leading persons in the nation. An electric shock could not be felt more vividly and instantaneously” wrote one observer. Everyone was talking about the book. Many regarded it as the most important book of the century. It remained a bestseller for over fifty years. By 1826, there had been thirteen editions of the book in England and twenty-five editions in America. This book was been translated into French, Dutch, Spanish and German.
   
   As a result of reading this book, hundreds of thousands became real Christians with their hearts and minds on the Lord and their actions directed to changing the world around them. A Practical View of Real Christianity, as it is sometimes known, inspired the foundation of the Salvation Army, of the Religious Tract Society, of the Boy Scouts and of the YMCA.

Conclusion

Samuel Morse, the inventor of the telegraph, a gifted painter, and a friend of Wilberforce wrote: 

Mr. Wilberforce is an excellent man; his whole soul is bent on doing good to his fellow man. Not a moment of his time is lost. He is always planning a benevolent scheme or other and not only planning but executing; he is made up altogether of affectionate feeling. What I saw of him in private gave me the most exalted opinion of him as a Christian. Oh, that such men as Mr. Wilberforce were more common in this world. So much human blood would not be shed to gratify the malice and revenge of a few wicked, interested men.

Everyone loves heroes. We are drawn to people who are epic and larger than life. Admittedly, some of the “heroes” youth turn to are not good role models. In William Wilberforce, we can find a hero who lived for Christ, who worked for Christ, and who changed the world for the better.

Today, we can be a WilberFORCE! We can see how a person supported and aided by friends lived an active political and social life and at the same time changed society. Over 150 years ago, Abraham Lincoln claimed that every school child in America knew William Wilberforce. Today, we can rediscover this great Christian, and they can reestablish his campaign to bring about THE BETTER HOUR..