William Wilberforce 1759-1833

Over the years I have been inspired by many people, many of whom I will never meet.  These inspirational people include William Wilberforce - undisputedly one of this nation’s greatest social reformers. Wilberforce demonstrated that one life can change the world.  In an age where there is far more cynicism than idealism that’s an important thing to keep at the forefront of my mind.

One reason that Wilberforce inspires me is because he had a noble cause.  These days the word ‘vision’ is over used. We have vision statements and the like, which can often lose their meaning, becoming little more than rhetoric in a world where actions speak louder than words.   I love the word cause, as it speaks of core values.  It speaks of passion and tenacity, of single-mindedness and commitment.  It asks fundamental questions of my own existence. Why am I alive?  What am I here to accomplish?  How can I leave a legacy for my world to remember? Wilberforce’s cause became a magnificent obsession - something that kept him awake at night and got him into all kinds of trouble. 

Today, we often frown upon such extremism, with its many negative connotations, but we need to remember that this is the stuff which changes the world.  Mediocrity never changed a thing.

The second thing I admire about this great man is that he challenged the status quo.  In his fight to abolish the slave trade, he came up against serious opposition. Whether this was demonstrated by the inertia and antagonism of the establishment or his own personal struggles with illness and identity, he wasn’t deterred.  What is more, he didn’t wait until he had power to make a difference.  Someone once said that the world steps aside for the person who knows where they are going.  This is so true.  Very often confidence comes before authority.

I find it much easier to ‘give up’ than to ‘give all’.  However, when I consider the effect of giving up I realise it is a poor substitute for seeing lives changed for the better.  In fact it’s at these times in my own life I have grown the most.  Finally, and arguably most importantly, William Wilberforce completed what he set out to achieve.  History tells us that he died just three years after seeing his goal accomplished, but the effect of his life lives on today.  This is the kind of life I know we all want to live.  One where we made an impact, one where we didn’t quit, one where we finished the race marked out for us.

This article appeared in New Start Magazine on 9 November 2007.