Uncle Tom's Cabin and the family farm

Have you ever read Uncle Tom's Cabin? I have and it is one of the most important books I have ever read. Many "civil rights" activists complain that the book was a pro-slavery propaganda piece. These people either have never read the story and are parroting the talking points of someone else with ulterior motives or they are ignorant to the real message of the book. UTC is NOT pro-slavery as many ignorantly espouse- evidenced by the fact that this book made indignant the majority of non-slave owning Americans, north and south, and the greeting that Harriet Beecher Stowe received when first met by Lincoln which went something like this..... "greetings to the little lady who started the great war." This book is an allegory of Christ; more specifically, an allegory of sacrifice for the love of others. I wept through most of this most inspired work.

I wept for a few reasons:

First, because it is clear that Tom, a man who knew God, loved his neighbor more than himself. If there is perfect love it will serve rather than demand service. It will sacrifice rather than live for self. Perfect love hath no man than He lay down his life for His brethren. Tom, loving that which was lost more than his own life, gave up his freedom from slavery, which he knew was eventually going to cost him his life, for the sake of demonstrating love to his fellow slaves on a remote plantation who were devoid of life. He made this sacrifice because he knew the love that God had shown him, knew of the abundant life that is natural to GENUINE relationship with Jesus, and saw that the poor slaves on the plantation would never know it if he did not make the sacrifice. Tom endured the hardship and the death for the joy set before him in knowing Jesus and giving everything for His eternal purposes. Tom gave everything for the lives of his neighbors- perfect love.

Second, as I read this inspired story I realized that I was reading this book according to sovereign leading. I was reading the book at a time when I was very much inclined to pack my family up and move us to the vicinity of the family farm in remote Iowa- a place that has always held my heart. I sensed, at the time, that I was supposed to remain where I was for an assignment that had yet to be made clear. I endeavored to ignore those whispers of the Spirit as I desperately wanted to live the country life and NOT the urban sub-urban one. I love South Carolina, particularly the beach and the marsh but my heart is with cattle, horses, the wind, and the isolation of the Great Plains. I even love the winters there. I love it.

I remembered through this story that this life is short, but a vapor, and apart from the eternal purposes of God is relatively meaningless, to eternity. What profit is it to a man to live for happiness for some 70 odd years and neglect the things that will define eternity? Eternity, especially when this life I have been given is intended to prepare people who would not otherwise be prepared for coming eternity. What kind of selfishness am I contemplating? As much as I love the farm I know that this life is not my own; that I have been bought with a price. I know that there are good works prepared for me to walk in that are only found as I live in God's will for my life. The assignment that God has for me in the place that He desires is really all that matters. A person told me once that on the other side of great sacrifice is great blessing, especially if it connects the lost with the Lover of their souls.

This is on my mind today because I am melancholy about not being where my heart desires. However, I recognize as I look back over the past four years since I read UTC that clearly God has desired that we remain here. Some amazing things have happened, and it is quite clear that we are supposed to be where we are for now. I am grateful for the message of Uncle Tom's Cabin; the Civil War that set into motion the Bill of Rights for all men and the message to me that God's purposes require sacrifice but the Life and the purpose that is born is eternal.

God bless in the name of Jesus the great and soon coming King.