John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry - October 16

On October 16th 1859, abolitionist John Brown and a hand picked group seized the US Arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. Brown came with a trained, small group of men for military action. His group included 16 white men, 3 free blacks, 1 freed slave, and 1 fugitive slave. Northern abolitionist groups sent 198 breech loading .52 caliber Sharps carbines obtained from Charles Blair, in preparation for the raid. Brown's plan was to capture the rifles at the arsenal and then arm an army of freed slaves so they could wage war on the slaveholders of Virginia. After four days, a detachment of Marines led by Col. Robert E Lee stormed the arsenal. Those who were not killed were captured and hanged, including Brown; for treason.

What spiritual lessons can we learn from Brown’s defeat at Harpers Ferry?

1) The end doesn't justify the means – The abolitionist movement was for the most part led by Christian pacifists. They used peaceful means to oppose slavery. Brown was a violent insurrectionist that had already made his mark in the Pottawatomie Massacre that occurred in 1856 at Pottawatomie Creek in Franklin County, Kansas. John Brown and a band of abolitionist settlers killed five pro-slavery settlers. He saw no conflict in using violence to support a peaceful movement.

As Christians, we have a tendency to put our morals away and to use less that honorable methods to accomplish what we consider a good cause. The zealots of Jesus day up to the abortion clinic bombers of today testify to this. How we conduct ourselves is much more important than the end result. Do not align yourselves with any cause that uses methods that are contrary to your faith, even if they are seeking the same goals as you are.

2) Standing up for the weak and persecuted of society should be our mission – Slavery was an evil that was tolerated by “good Christians” in the south for 170 years. It was winked at by politicians and clergy alike because it was convenient and profitable. The British dealt with the issue of freeing slaves peacefully, led by abolitionists in Parliament. The Americans, on the other hand were willing to go to war to keep slaves. John Brown was willing to wage a lone war against what he considered an evil, dehumanizing enterprise. That Christians could not see the evil that Brown could speaks of how we can justify anything by using a Bible.

3) What we fail to deal with today will become our bondage of tomorrow – John Brown's raid was two years before Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter to start the Civil War. The bloodiest war ever fought was the result of this country failing to deal with the issue of blacks becomming citizens with rights and not property when the Constitution was drawn up. The Founding Fathers failed to address it, and all the succeeding Presidents and Congress failed to address, so a war that killed 25% of the male population finally had to settle it. Why did it have to come to that?

As Christians, we ignore the “little foxes” that infect our souls thinking they will go away. Later, those same problems become a bondage that can destroy us. “A little leaven leavens the whole loaf”. Deal with the little sins while they are still little.