Last week I was listening to The Bear Grease Podcast which has a series going right now on the Civil War. Part 1 was very interesting. The podcast mentioned that Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin, a book which exposed the cruelty of slavery to a huge audience, showing the practice was a moral evil. In fact, when Abraham Lincoln met Harriet Beecher Stowe, he remarked, "So this is the little lady that started this great war."
I realized that I had never read Uncle Tom's Cabin. I promptly reserved it from the library on my audiobook app. It's a long book - 22 hours long, and tells a weaving story that, to be honest, is a tear-jerker. It shows the atrocities of humans owning other humans as property, of beatings and splitting up of families. Looking back, it is difficult to imagine that it ever happened - a stain on our nation.
The book's protagonist was Uncle Tom. He's a good Christian man - one that we should aspire to be. He constantly read his Bible and trusted his Lord. His example of faithfulness to God in the face of terrible abuse is inspiring. In one example, he finds himself owned by a cruel, heathen owner, Mr. Legree. Legree is beating Uncle Tom mercilessly and Tom has done no wrong.
Legree says, "You see the Lord ain't going to help you; if he had been, he wouldn't have let me get you! This yer religion is all a mess of lying trumpery, Tom. I know all about it. Ye'd better hold to me; I'm somebody, and can do something!"
"No, Mas'r," said Tom; "I'll hold on. The Lord may help me, or not help; but I'll hold to him, and believe him to the last!"
What faith! What a man! It reminds me of the verses in Daniel 3:17-18 when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are about to be thrown into the fiery furnace, they tell King Nebuchadnezzar that God can save them. They go on to say the following:
"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
We can certainly learn a lot from the example of Uncle Tom, of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
The second book of the week was, well, I don't know why I did this to myself, but I read Old Yeller, again. It was another tear jerker. Spoiler Alert if you've never read it: (Who's never read Old Yeller??!!) Old Yeller dies at the end. This audiobook is only 3 hours long. Old Yeller arrives as an unwelcome guest, stealing meat from the family. Travis, the protagonist, initially hates the dog, but Old Yeller soon proves himself and is loved by the family. You can really see the love that grows between the children and their beloved pet, Old Yeller.
Although I can't remember the book mentioning God, it has a strong Christian theme running just beneath the surface. Old Yeller loves the Coates family and sacrifices his safety, saving the family from a bear, wild hogs and a wolf that has rabies. Old Yeller eventually gives his life for the family he loves. You see, Old Yeller loves Travis and Travis, in turn, loves that dog so much. After Old Yeller is bitten by the rabid wolf, Travis must make a tough decision and put down the dog he loved before he got rabies and put the family at risk. You can feel his pain and as the book closes; you find yourself mourning right there with him, discouraged, depressed, and melancholy.
But then Travis' dad returns from bringing cattle to market. He finds Travis dejected, unable to even feel joy for the horse that his dad had brought him back. The saddle horse was what Travis always wanted and had long dreamed of. Travis' father uses this moment to encourage Travis, teaching Travis that in life there are sure to be hard times and disappointments. He uses this opportunity as a teachable moment about life, telling Travis, "A part of the time, it's mighty good. And a man can't afford to waste all the good part, worrying about the bad parts. That makes it all bad."
Between the two books on the list this week, if I was a crier, I would have consumed some Kleenex tissue. Instead, I gleaned some wisdom: Maintain a strong, unshakable faith in God and focus on all the good things and blessings in our lives. Don't worry. Enjoy life. Make sure you are prepared for eternal life.
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