Last month I read Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave and I am very glad I did. It is a short book of only about 100 pages but is very emotionally intense all the same. It tells in his own words, the story of a man born into bondage, who experienced an oppression unfathomable to my mind. Douglas writes, with gut wrenching honesty, about the corruption brought by slavery to the soul of slave holders, he writes with unparalleled eloquence about the power of literacy to free the human mind, and he writes, under the conviction of the Holy Spirit, about the discrepancies between the Christianity of Christ and the Christianity practised in the United States.
If you are unfamiliar with the book I give it my highest recommendation. A first hand account of a man raised as a slave offers marvellous insight into the human condition, the Gospel of Christ, the power of the written word. If you have a sensitive heart and cannot stand to read the whole bloody story I recommend chapter VII for its it's insights on the power of reading, chapter X which contains Fredrick Douglas' pivotal anagnorisis, and also the appendix, which contrasts Christianity and the religion of oppression.
The full text is available on Project Gutenberg.
Or available at Amazon.
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David, thank you for the links to this book on line. I think I'll just read the few chapters you recommended, because, as you so kindly put it, I have a sensitive heart. You are a blessed man who gives many blessings, and your wife is likewise a blessed woman who gives many blessings. Congratulations on your installation today and may God give you both great power to reach into the hearts of many and bring them hope. Woot!
ReplyDeleteYou are a constant encouragement. Thank you so much for your words and hugs.
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