Walking with the Wise #248: The Better Choice

“It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor

than to divide the spoil with the proud.”
—Proverbs 16:19

This past week I watched Ken Burns’ series on the Civil War. One particularly fascinating part was when the Union army took control of the Confederate capital, Richmond, Virginia. Lincoln himself went into Richmond right after it was seized, making his way to Jefferson Davis’ house. Word got around among Richmond’s former slaves and thousands of them made their way to the house, amid joys and shouts among them, so that they could see the Chief Magistrate of the United States. One former slave, sixty years old, fell at his feet, kissing them, crying out that he was the Messiah. And he wasn’t the only one—many were straining to touch the hem of his jacket! Why were they kissing him and calling out? Because he freed them from slavery. Interesting enough, Lincoln looked down on the men at his feet, embarrassed and said,

“'Don't kneel to me,' he said. 'That is not right. You must kneel to God only, and thank him for the liberty you will hereafter enjoy. I am but God's humble instrument; but you may rest assured that as long as I live no one shall put a shackle on your limbs, and you shall have all the rights which God has given to every other free citizen of this Republic.'”[1]

Lincoln had done what no other president in history had—he freed the slaves. He didn’t see himself above or better than them. He recognized that they too were men made in the image of God and because of that, they should have afforded to them the same rights as to every other free citizen in the Republic.

It is better for us to identify with the cause of the poor, oppressed and disenfranchised. Our Lord Himself did as such, as we would do well to follow His example, as Paul wrote,

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others”—Philippians 2:3-4.

And again,

“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight”—Romans 12:16.

May we recognize that we are but men, and that God is God—Creator of us all, and may we, as His servants, associate with the poor and lowly, rather than the proud and haughty, just as our Lord Himself did. Amen.

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[1]“Entering Richmond,” http://www.mrlincolnandfreedom.org/inside.asp?ID=84&subjectID=3, accessed on 22 June 2012.