There are some days when I have no inspiration for this blog. Days when the well seems totally dry and I am left grasping at straws for what to say. Other days, I have an over abundance and wonder how to express it all, leaving most out and getting -- sometimes -- just the bare bones information out.
Today is definitely one of the too much info days. I want to cover so many topics...politics, global warming, education and a movie we watched called Amazing Grace.
So...I'm going to just stick with Amazing Grace for today, and perhaps tomorrow move on to one of the many other topics that are vying for attention in my brain. This was a movie I've wanted to see since it was in the theaters -- but we didn't make it. My daughter rented it for me, and I was totally inspired. We strongly felt the children should watch it, and had it for family night the following Monday.
What I find interesting, is the idea that so many treat the American slaves as a worse blight than the English trade, when one caused the other. Also, I don't think ours took as long to dismantle. What I find most sad, is apparently they still feel they are lacking in rights today -- but that is a subject for another day.
Anyway, I had to look up information on the man the next day, and I was surprised to find that the movie puts a little more emphasis on Wilberforce than was reality. Typical Hollywood, right? However -- just because he was not as large a figure as he's portrayed, he was still an amazing man. One I feel would have joined the church had he been exposed to it.
And the song!! I've always thought it was just a southern Baptist or gospel song, written by some slave or gospel singer. I had no idea it was written by a priest who had been a slave trader. What a touching thing...and the words mean even more to me now.
What struck me about this movie is how some people seem to be born to greatness. Not just worldly greatness as in wealth and esteem, but in the right place at the right time to make a difference in the world. It makes me wonder what I'm doing with my life. Why am I here? What kind of mark am I going to leave? Unfortunately, I don't think it's going to be much. Perhaps just the fact that my children are good and do the right thing will be enough of a legacy...who knows.
I also know of an amazing woman who managed to say pretty much my exact thoughts on civil rights and equality. Her name is Jewel Adams. If you read her viewpoint on Candace Salima's blog, you'll see what I mean. She's a wonderful person, I've met her and she's gorgeous inside and out.
I feel she sums up in a nutshell the way I think things should be. It's people like her that are going to make a difference in the future.
5 comments:
My son and I are studying 1850-2008 this coming year, and I was thinking about watching Amazing Grace with him...although it's an earlier time period, it does tie into slavery which will be touching upon when we study the Civil War.
My question is, is it an appropriate film for him? He is 12.
Well...I had my 12 year old watch it, and he seemed to appreciate it. There isn't very much that is graphic, they show the chains that the slaves wear and a ship that transports them. There is a dream like sequence where it shows some of the hardships of the slaves, but nothing that is extreme or gory like The Patriot. We felt it was appropriate for all of our children. By the way...I'm so impressed with you homeschooling!!!
Cool! Thank you, I'm happy that he'll be able to watch it. =)
I must admit, we always watch the edited version of the Patriot, so we've never seen anything really gory. That film is AWESOME! =)
Don't be impressed with me homeschooling. It's WAY too much fun for anyone to be impressed about it. =D Now if it was hard work and drugery and I was a complete hardworking martyr, then you could be impressed. But it's mostly just fun and games so what's to be impressed about? =D =D
Sounds like a good movie, I will look for it.
Now I want to see that movie.
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