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The Civil War might have been averted had there been more like him. In fact, some suggest a peaceful emancipation of slaves might have been achieved. Elijah Lovejoy, that great American hero, editor, schoolteacher, and Presbyterian clergyman quit the ministry and returned to the press to be sure his words reached more people. After observing one lynching, Elijah was committed forever to fighting the awful sin of slavery. Mobs attacked him again and again; neither this nor many threats and attempts on his life deterred him. Repeated destruction of his presses didn't stop him. “If by compromise is meant that I should cease from my duty, I cannot. I fear God more than I fear man. Crush me if you will, but I shall die at my post…” And he did, four days later, at the hands of another mob. Not one of them was prosecuted, indicted, or punished for his murder. On the contrary, some of Elijah’s defenders were prosecuted! One of the mob assassins was later elected mayor of Alton!
So, where’s justice? Was his blood ever avenged? There was one young man around who heard of these events which took place 80 miles from his home. He gave a speech referencing needless mob violence. He didn’t refer to Elijah's specifically, he didn’t need to, everyone knew what he was talking about, when he said:
Accounts of outrages committed by mobs form the every-day news of the times. They have pervaded the country from New England to Louisiana; [these stories of mobs] are neither peculiar to the eternal snows of the former nor the burning suns of the latter; they are not the creature of climate, neither are they confined to the slave-holding or the non-slave-holding states. Alike they [or, these mobs] spring up among the pleasure-hunting masters of Southern slaves, and the order-loving citizens of the land of steady habits. Whatever, then, their cause may be, it is common to the whole country.
So, the Speaker chose to address mob rule in broader, national, context. To warn that living our lives by the whims of mobs is a recipe for national disaster. This speech was given to a local chapter of the American Lyceum Movement (which was a public education movement) in Springfield, Illinois in 1838. The speaker was 28 years old at the time. His name was Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln was deeply moved by Elijah’s martyrdom. And carried the memory of it, as a horrible illustration of the outcome of mob rule, into his presidency and into the emancipation of slavery that his presidency affected.
The cry for true justice rings out in this world, yet in so many instances, we see justice postponed. As God's people, not only is this personally troubling; it often leads to awkward questions. In the face of some great tragedy people ask us, "If God is so good, then why is this world so messed up?" We do our best to answer. In the end, however, we are left with, "One day, everything will be set to right."
The reality of God's judgment is good news for those who believe because on that day, the clamoring of this world will be silenced. The confusion of conflict will be settled. Our righteous God will declare justice, and everyone will know he is right. That is good news. For God's people, the reality of God's judgment is good news that deserves to be praised. And Revelation 15 shows us that worship is our most intimate and sacred response to God for his righteous character and actions of redeeming us. He is the Lord God Almighty, King of the nations, holy, eternal, glorious, and powerful. His deeds are great, marvelous, just, true, righteous, and full of wrath against his enemies. This text offers a clean and bright canvas on which God's nature as both great and good can plainly be seen. Worship turned inward, however, loses its power and worship turned outward loses its focus. Worship that is God-centered allows us to celebrate aspects of his character that are too often ignored, such as his faithfulness to judge evil and bring justice for his people. Some of us may have cried out "How long, O Lord?" when we suffered at the hands of cruel people and evil systems, but we will celebrate with all God's people when he makes all things right. The forces of darkness don't deserve to win. And they won't win. They won't get away with harming us and the people we love who belong to the Lord. They deceive and manipulate and abuse and bring death all around. God is to be worshiped and praised for judging evil.
In the story of Job, we find a man asking the questions we hear and ask ourselves. He looks around at the world he's suddenly inherited--his children dead, treasures stolen, health lost--and doesn't understand. He cries out, he philosophizes, but he doesn't give up on God. And in the end, God doesn't answer his basic question, "Why?" Instead, God says, the question is "Who?"
In other words, "Who do you trust? Who will you trust? Living in a broken world, we cry with the saints in heaven, "How long, O Lord?" When we come before him in worship, we remember, "This is the one in whom we trust!"
We find the answer to "How long?" in worship. Rev. 15 reminds us God will be worshiped and glorified by believers from many nations. Revelation doesn't advocate universalism, but it does strongly suggest they will come from many nations, over which God will be king. People from every tribe, language, people, and nation will "come and worship" the Lord, thus fulfilling the initial promise to Abraham, the hope of the prophets, and the great commission of Jesus himself. While the call to the nations to fear God and give him glory is rejected by many, many do respond and experience God's saving mercy.
God is gathering a people for his eternal family. I wonder. Are you a part of that eternal family? If you are, how is your church family helping others to experience a brief glimpse, a foretaste, of what heaven will be like--where all of God's sons and daughters worship! If you're not part of a church family, ask God to speak to your heart and lead you to a fellowship of believers where you and He can worship.
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Rev. Charles Eldredge is a member of Maitland Church of the Brethren. He has a Facebook page and can be contacted by email: ce1133 @verizon.net.