by Jody Hedlund
The journeys aboard those slave ships for the Africans who had to endure them are too horrible to imagine. Reading accounts of such voyages is enough to make even the strongest stomach churn. In our modern times, we see the bondage of other human beings as intolerable. We see racism as inexcusable. We see the mistreatment and cruelty of another life as unacceptable.
That’s why it’s so difficult for us to imagine how Newton, as a repentant prodigal son who’d experienced God’s unconditional love and amazing grace, could go back into such an awful occupation as that of a slave trader, not just once but a total of four times.
As unjustified as it might seem to us, very few people in the mid-1700s questioned the practice of the slave trade. It was a perfectly acceptable occupation, even for Christians. While it may have made people squeamish and while their consciences may have convicted them, the abolitionist movement didn’t take off until much later in Newton’s life, when he was an old man. Newton eventually came to a place of great remorse and repentance for his role in the slave trade. He published a book, Thoughts upon the African Slave Trade, in which he said: “I hope it will always be a subject of humiliating reflection to me that I was once an active instrument in the business at which my heart now shudders.”
His book became widely read and highly influential in the growing abolitionist movement. And later his testimony in Parliament against the slave trade helped sway public opinion in support of the abolitionist movement. His book stood out not only because of his reputation as a beloved pastor but also because of the authenticity, his eye-witness reports and his firsthand experiences in the slave trade.
As appalling as Newton’s slave-trading voyages were after he became a Christian, I’d like to think that God was still directing Newton’s life then just as he had been all along. He allowed Newton to experience such depravity so that later he could use him as a pivotal instrument in bringing about the abolition of the slave trade in England.
I also take comfort in knowing that even after Newton experienced God’s saving grace, he still wasn’t a perfect man. He made mistakes (some very big ones! ). His life reminds me that transformation into holiness is a lifelong process. Experiencing God’s grace is only the beginning of the journey. God doesn’t expect us to be perfect. And he can in fact use our imperfections to make an impact, sometimes even world-changing impacts.
I pray that Newton and Polly’s story will encourage you on many levels. But most of all, I hope it reminds you that there is a God who loves you. Unconditionally. No matter where you’ve been. Or what you’ve done. He will always love you and welcome you home.
Readers Guide
1. If not for Polly Catlett, the world might not have the classic hymn “Amazing Grace.” John Newton freely admits in his autobiography that “hardly anything less than this intense and compelling passion [for Polly] would have been sufficient to awaken me from the dull melancholy habit I had formed [while slave trading in Africa].” Had you ever heard of Polly Catlett before reading this novel? Did you realize how instrumental she was in bringing John out of his life of sin?
2. John also says in his autobiography that “almost at the first sight of this girl, I felt an affection for her that never abated or lost its influence a single moment in my heart. In degree, it equaled all that the writers of romance have imagined; in duration it was unalterable.” Do you believe love at first sight is possible? What are some of the pros or cons to falling in love quickly?
3. John overstayed his visits with the Catletts on multiple occasions and overestimated his abilities to find and retain work without much effort. How did you feel about John repeating his mistakes? Why do we often do the same thing? We’ve all heard the sayings, “History has a way of repeating itself” or “Children grow up to make the same mistakes as their parents.” How can we stop the cycle?
4. At times Polly wondered why her father had to be different from so many of the other customs officers who turned a blind eye to the smuggling going on around them. If so many people thought smuggling was okay, then why was her father taking a stand against it? We face the same controversy in our modern culture. How can we take a stand for what’s right, even if we’re in the minority?
5. What did you think of the practice of impressing men to become sailors on the king’s ships? Do you think John was justified in being angry that he’d been forced to serve in the navy? How could he have handled his situation better?
6. When he realized during a voyage to the East Indies that he would be bound to the navy for a term of five years, John said, “I think nothing I either felt or feared distressed me so much as being thus forcibly torn away from the object of my affection under a great improbability of seeing her again.” When the English shore disappeared from sight he said, “I was tempted to throw myself into the sea.” It was at this point that John utterly abandoned God for a life of atheism. What drives people to abandon belief in God? Discuss how people of faith and those who don’t believe can have positive dialogue about their choices.
7. John’s relationship with his father was always strained. Yet his father never stopped loving him or trying to help him. Describe some of the ways Captain Newton tried to help John. How did John treat him in return? Have you experienced or known of a “prodigal” son or daughter who seemed ungrateful and contemptuous toward his or her family?
8. In hindsight, John could see how God intervened on multiple occasions to save his life. Can you compare any personal experiences in your life to the catalyst for John’s change?
9. It became clear to John that God had saved him for a purpose, but John didn’t understand what that purpose was for many years. In fact, it’s safe to say that John died not knowing what a legacy of faith he left through “Amazing Grace.” God asks us to trust him even when we don’t understand our situations. When we’re in difficult situations, why is it often so difficult to trust God’s higher purposes?
10. Before John’s mother died, she prayed for him daily, interceded on his behalf, and begged God for his soul. She was faithful to plant seeds early in his childhood with Scripture memory and biblical truths. While those prayers and seeds took many years to come to fruition, her example offers hope to all parents. When a child seems lost, we need to resist Satan’s lie that our prayers and seeds won’t make a difference. Why is it so easy to give up when we don’t see results right away? How can we persevere in prayer and planting seeds?