Author: Ernest Disney-Britton

Kids love underground railroad stories, and most also believe that they would have been part of it. Today there is almost universal belief that American slavery was evil but also that the underground railroad was God’s hand at work. In that spirit, I bought the new book titled Underground Railroad by Michael Coulson, an Oprah’s Club Book of the Month. Its a work of fiction, but — like most books on this subject — it prompts an important question: If I lived in America during the 1800s, would I have supported the status quo of slavery; would I have fought against it; or would I have been a quiet bystander? Yes, there were some black slaveowners too, but that’s a story for another day.

The reviews for this new book have been so amazing that I bought a copy for myself and for my mom, who is a docent at Cincinnati’s National Underground Railroad. We are both reading it now, but in the giving it inspired a conversation with my husband, Greg, about motivations and actions when facing injustice. What do you do?

Most adults, like the school children in my tours, consider themselves the stand-up and take-action type. Most black people assert they would have fought back or escaped. Most white people are sure they would have worked as a conductor on the underground railroad ferrying escaping slaves to freedom. The problem is if history is correct then both blacks and whites are wrong. Most of us are bystanders waiting for someone else to be the sacrificial lamb. Most historians agree that less than 100,000 out of 4 million black slaves took the risk and escaped on the underground railroad. Those same historians tell us that only 10,000 white Americans out of 6 million risked their livelihoods to work on the underground railroad. Because of the many lessons of the underground railroad, when facing an injustice or simple wrong, I always ask myself what action will I take? Will I be a bystander, or will I risk my personal comfort and stability to fight for or against that issue. I’m not talking about sending a check, or voting, or even attending a rally.

The lesson of the underground railroad is the story of people losing their jobs, homes, families, and even lives for what they believed. If you still believe that you would have escaped or been a conductor, then look around at conditions today. According to experts, more than 42 million people are enslaved today around the world. According to experts, 22,000 Americans die from gun injuries every year. According to Catholic Charities, 42 million babies die in abortions, and the list of challenges goes on and on, and I ask myself, “What am I doing?” Am I supporting the status quo? Am I a silent bystander leaving it up to others, or am I on the front-line each week putting myself out as a sacrificial lamb for change?

In Isaiah 53, the writer talks about the horrible conditions that ancient Jewish people were facing in Egypt, and God’s promise to send one who would serve the role of God’s sacrificial lamb. Like stories of the underground railroad, Isaiah 53 is about motivations, choices, and actions. Often, when I see problems, I am quick to criticize until I answer the question, “What will you do about it?”

If you are not willing to be the sacrificed, then you are not a freedom-seeking fugitive and you are not an underground railroad conductor. Instead, you are part of the great majority of bystanders who help problems grow through our inaction. As Christians, I don’t believe we are called to be bystanders. We are instead challenged to be sacrificial lambs.

Thought for the day: What cause means enough for you to risk it all, or are you just another bystander?