Uncle Tom's Cabin/ Thanksgiving

I have just finished reading Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. On the eve of Thanksgiving, I haven't much time to write, but must put this down while it is all fresh.

The subject of slavery and the mark still carried by black people of African decent has always been a concern to me. Harriet Beecher Stowe did an amazing job of showing the evils and humanness of everyone involved, from the traders, to the owners and their children, to the abolitionists and the northerners who in their silence did nothing to the Christian slaves and the ones in more bondage than their physical bodies.

One of the many things that will stay with me about this book, is what an amazing job Stowe does of describing the sins done under the "protection" of "Christian" churches in total contrast to that of what she correctly understood a relationship with God Almighty to be.

I have marked many passages in this book and will carry them near to me. Not in anyway to diminish the message of the slavery of African's in our country and the subsequent treatment afterward to this day, but how many times over we see these scenes in the way we all think and treat others as less than what God created them to be.

This scene is from chapter eleven in a tavern where a notice has just been read of the running away of George.

"These yer knowin' boys is allers aggravatin' and sarcy," said a coarse-looking fellow, from the other side of the room; "that's why they gets cut up and marked so. If they behaved themselves, they wouldn't."

"That is to say, the Lord made 'em men, and it's a hard squeeze getting 'em down into beasts," said the drover, dryly.

(the previous man goes on the say that talents are wasted on them)

"Better send orders up to the Lord, to make you a set, and leave out their souls entirely," said the drover.

Said of Evangeline's mother who is always self-absorbed...

"Marie was one of those unfortunately constituted mortals, in whose eyes whatever is lost and gone assumes a value which it never had in possession. Whatever she had, she seemed to survey only to pick flaws in it; but, once fairly away, there was no end to her valuation of it."

Father, keep us all from this terrible sin. Help us love all you put around us while there is still life in them.

This one cuts to the heart of all our sin...

"...It is no more true of this race than of every oppressed race, the world over. The slave is always a tyrant, if he can get a chance to be one."

And to be sure we have a correct picture of how the Lord sees our suffering, Tom instructs us...

"Missis," said Tom, after a while, "I can see that, some how, you're quite 'bove me in everything; but there's one thing Missis might learn even from poor Tom. Ye said the Lord took sides against us, because he lets us be 'bused and knocked round; but ye see what come on his own Son,--the blessed Lord of Glory, --wan't he allays poor? and have we, any on us, yet come so low as he come? The Lord han't forgot us, --I'm sartin' o' that ar'. If we suffer with him, we shall also reign, Scripture says; but, if we deny Him, he also will deny us. Didn't they all suffer? --the Lord and all his? It tells how they was stoned and sawn asunder, and wandered about in sheep-skins and goat-skins, and was destitute, afflicted, tormented. Sufferin' an't no reason to make us think the Lord's turned agin us; but jest the contrary, if only we hold on to him, and doesn't give up to sin."

I would love to listen to the sermons men like Uncle Tom could have preached. I leave now to spend time with my family, thankful, that despite suffering and loss, Jesus has endured all suffering such as is common to man and is well acquainted with all our sorrows and even endured the cross. We are free in Christ! Therefore do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery, but in love serve one another!