A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. (Eccl 4:12 NLT)

One of the reasons I love hockey so much is because it is the ultimate team sport. It takes 23-plus men to play at the professional level. Yes, there are unbelievable individuals within that 23-man team, but they can't do it without the others. In fact, the greatest player to play the game, Wayne Gretzky, was the ultimate team player. He once said, "You'll never catch me bragging about goals, but I'll talk all you want about my assists." (He had more career assists than many hall-of-famers had points: goals plus assists.)

I'm a big believer in the fact that alone we can only accomplish so much, but together we can accomplish so much more. When I received the screener DVD for the movie Amazing Grace, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. I hadn't heard too much about it, so I thought it was going to be about the writer of the super-famous hymn. I was surprised to find out it was about William Wilberforce, and his quest to end slavery in the British Empire. What MovedMe was that he didn't, no couldn't, do it alone... and neither can we.

William Pitt
First is Wilberforce's friendship with William Pitt, the youngest Prime Minister in Britain's history. Pitt encourages Wilberforce early on not only to pursue the end of slavery, quite an impossible task, but also to use his God-given gifts in politics. The movie depicts the new Christian, Wilberforce, struggling between serving God in the priesthood or continuing in politics. Pitt puts together an intervention of sorts to help Wilberforce decide to serve God by continuing in politics.

There is a great illustration in the Apostle Paul's first letter to the Corinthian church about their members being like parts of the human body. They all can't be eyes because well... that would be freaky; but also because there wouldn't be any hearing or talking or walking. This seems to be what the "intervention" group was trying to tell Wilberforce. Yes we need more priests and missionaries, but we also need strong men using the gifts the Lord has given them in government. Thank God he decides to stay!

John Newton
Throughout the movie we see Wilberforce's relationship with John Newton, the person who penned the hymn Amazing Grace. The first depiction of their relationship in the movie is Newton giving Wilberforce a swift kick in the butt. It's the classic older mentor telling his mentee to stop hemming and hawing and get to work! Towards the end of the movie Newton finally puts aside his own issues and joins the fight... and just in time.

This is great because in our day and age we don't value having an older mentor to show us the way. I know I don't... I like hanging out with my peers, people around my age. But you know what? We haven't experienced everything that my older counterparts have. I long for a Newton type man who I can go to for some wisdom... or even that swift kick in the butt!

Barbara Wilberforce

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