SLAVERY HURT BLACKS and POOR WHITES

  Discrimination against black people because of the color of their skin is wrong. Slavery hurt Americans from Africa, and that damage is still far-reaching.

 

“A poor black family is much more likely than a poor white one to live in a neighborhood where many other families are poor, too, creating what sociologists call the ‘double burden’ of poverty,” writer Emily Badger says.

America slavery also hurt “poor whites.”

 

“The institution of slavery deprived the majority of poor whites of wealth, culture, and political power,” William M. Brewer said.

 

“Slavery imposed upon this class nearly three hundred years of ignorance, inertia, and peculiar prejudice.”

 

Ms. Keri Leigh Merritt, a historian and writer in Atlanta, GA., is the author of "Masterless Men: Poor Whites and Slavery in the Antebellum South." Writing about years leading to America’s Civil War, Merritt says, “The enslavement of millions of Africans warped the South’s economy, politics, and culture — including in ways that often hurt poor white Southerners. Poor whites were seen as a threat to the ruling planter class in the South.”

 

Merritt estimates poor whites made up about one-third of the white population in the cotton South states. She says they lived hard material lives, “enduring cyclical poverty, hunger, and want, primarily because they were surplus workers competing in a labor market with brutalized, unpaid enslaved people.”

 

After the forced migration of around 800,000 enslaved laborers from the Upper South to the Deep South in the 1830s and 1840s, job opportunities for poor whites were scarce, Merritt says.

 

“By the 1850s, poor white men had either dropped out of the workforce altogether, cobbling together a meager existence by hunting, fishing, and trading with the enslaved in the underground economy, or by trying to work in non-agricultural jobs,” she says. “These ‘mechanics,’ as they called themselves, began forming labor unions, or ‘associations,’ and by the late 1850s many of them were openly threatening to withdraw their support for slavery if something was not done to protect their jobs and their wages.”

 

Merritt argues that the push from poor and working-class whites essentially created a 3-front battle for slave owners, who had to defend slavery against Northern abolitionists, the enslaved themselves, and lower-class Southern whites.

 

“Slaveholders had little chance but to secede to preserve slavery,” Merritt says.

 

She adds that no system of universal or public education existed in the Deep South prior to the Civil War because slave-owners did not want poor whites teaching blacks how to read in the growing underground economy the two groups operated.

 

“Poor whites’ illiteracy also meant that they remained ignorant about nearly everything going on at the national level,” Merritt says.

 

This fact, along with their often being left out of politics, meant that poor whites were completely distrustful of government in general and were politically apathetic, Merritt says, adding, “It was an incredibly unequal society at every level, and whether through incentives or threats or outright terrorism, slaveholders controlled every aspect of politics and suffrage.”

 

Many 1850s church leaders justified slavery.

 

In an article called “Why Non-Slaveholding Southerners Fought,” Gordon Rhea writes that some church leaders argued that because Abraham, Jacob, Isaac, and Job owned slaves, slavery was OK.

 

“While slavery was not expressly sanctioned in the New Testament, Southern clergymen argued that the absence of condemnation signified approval,” Rhea says. “They cited Paul’s return of a runaway slave to his master as Biblical authority for the Fugitive Slave Act, which required the return of runaway slaves.”

 

Some leaders promoted “race superiority” appeals.

 

Rhea writes that in the fall of 1860, John Townsend, owner of a cotton plantation on Edisto Island, authored a pamphlet saying that if Lincoln were elected President, the abolition of slavery would be inevitable and that people who did not own slaves would also be in danger.

 

“It will be to the non-slaveholder, equally with the largest slaveholder, the obliteration of caste and the deprivation of important privileges,” Townsend wrote. “The color of the white man is now, in the South, a title of nobility … . The poorest non-slaveholder may rejoice with the richest of his brethren of the white race, in the distinction of his color. He may be poor, it is true; but there is no point upon which he is so justly proud and sensitive as his privilege of caste; and there is nothing which he would resent with more fierce indignation than the attempt of the Abolitionist to emancipate the slaves and elevate the Negroes to an equality with himself and his family.”

 

Slavery hurt black people (and poor white people) and warred against these words written by Clare Herbert Woolston: “Red and yellow, black and white; they are precious in His Sight.”

LIKE SHIPS PASSING IN A CORONAVIRUS NIGHT?

 

Pictured are Mrs. Frances Hawkins Crain and Mr. Fred E. Crain, my aunt and uncle.

 

Janelle, my daughter, spends much time at home, virtual-teaching by computer to second-graders. She gets out of her house during some afternoons in order to visit a few shops. Cabin-fever probably forces her to mask-up and venture forth. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our lives.

Barbara and I saw Janelle during her Christmas two-week break. We met outside for lunch at Greer’s Panera Bread. The wind was cold and strong, and after eating our meals at two different outside tables (so we could social-distance), we retreated to our cars and parked behind Panera. I backed into a space; we left a parking space between us; and Janelle drove straight into the space on the other side of the empty parking space between us. We sat with car windows rolled down and talked — I from my window and she from hers, parked as if our cars were meeting in opposite directions. The expression “like ships passing in the night” came to mind.

Internet sources define “ships that pass in the night” to mean “two or more people who encounter one another in a transitory, incidental manner and whose relationship is without lasting significance.”

“Ships that pass in the night” originates from the poem “The Theologian’s Tale” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The poem reads, “Ships that pass in the night, and speak each other in passing, / Only a signal shown and a distant voice in the darkness; / So on the ocean of life we pass and speak one another, / Only a look and a voice, then darkness again and a silence.”

“Ships that pass in the night” is a metaphor referring to “people who meet, share a few words, and separate to continue their way and never see each other again.”

Of course, I plan to see Janelle again, and our relationship is not “without lasting significance,” but the present pandemic seems to have put us into “ships that pass in the night” situations. I phone Janelle about every other day in an effort to maintain our relationship.

On a recent Sunday, George Hembree, a Vietnam veteran and member of Faith Temple Church, brought his daughter, Angela, to Faith Temple. After church, she approached me about the name “Frances Crain” printed in the church bulletin. Frances’ name is listed there in the prayer concerns. Ms. Angela is a nursing supervisor at Spring Park, a Travelers Rest, SC, nursing home where my Aunt Frances, age 93, lives.

“She’s a sweet person,” Angela said about Aunt Frances.

“We recently visited her,” I said.

Barbara and I had not seen Aunt Frances since March 2020; we made an appointment to meet with her at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021. Wearing masks that day, we found the facility’s front door locked. A supervisor sent us to the outside entrance of the memory-care wing.

An aide seated us in the lobby. Two folding tables had been placed side-to-side to maintain a 6-foot space between Aunt Frances and us. An attendant escorted in my tiny aunt, who used a walker and wore a mask.

“Hi, Aunt Frances,” I said. “Do you recognize me.”

“Well, I’m not sure … ,” she said, as she took a seat opposite us.

I lowered my mask to let her see my whole face.

“Oh, it’s Steve,” she said.

I re-positioned my mask.

“How’s Carol?” She asked.

“She’s fine,” I said. Carol passed on in Jan. 2019, and I believe she is in heaven and is fine. Aunt soon asked again about Carol. I figured I better tell her that Carol died, because Aunt might wonder about why I was sitting there with Barbara (my wife since June 2020). I told her that Carol passed.

“Well, did I know about it?” she asked.

I told her she had known and introduced Barbara, whom she met in early 2020. We chatted for a while.

“Has Fred passed on?” Aunt Frances asked.

I explained that Fred, her late husband, died in Feb. 2018. She asked if she lived at Spring Park and, if so, how long had she lived there. She and Uncle Fred lived at Spring Park for a while before he passed.

“You mean I’ve lived here all by myself? she said. “I mean … with no relatives here?”

I told her that she was cared for and loved. I prayed for her before and Barbara and I left.

I often think of this verse, in regard to older people:

After Jesus was resurrected, he showed himself to several disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He asked Peter about his love for him, then Jesus said to him: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not” (John 21:18).

Whether we’re trying to maintain relationships during the coronavirus pandemic or dealing with other challenges, we can always cast our care upon him (Jesus), for he cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).

FRIENDS: CAN YOU KEEP FRIENDS DURING POLITICAL TIMES?

 The U.S. has become more politically polarized (divided) in the last 20 years, the Pew Research Center says.  

As I watched the Inauguration of President Joseph R. Biden on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, I thought of Paul’s instruction to Christians in 1 Timothy 2:1-2:   

“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” 

Early Christians were often accused of undermining the state because they claimed a higher Lord other than Caesar. Paul encouraged Christians to be good citizens by praying for their government.  

Pray for rulers that they would simply leave us alone and let us live as Christians, enduringword.com advises. “Christians are to look for no special favors from the government,” that site says, adding, “Our goal is a level playing field, unrestricted by state intervention.” 

A Focus on the Family writer says, “As long as we can do so without denying Christ or compromising our faith, we must always strive to cooperate with the ruling powers.  

“That doesn’t necessarily mean that we will endorse all of their policies or approve of every specific action they take. This is especially true in a democratic society, where it is the duty of responsible citizens to examine public servants with a discerning and critical eye.  

“Nevertheless, Christians are responsible to uphold biblical righteousness in a hostile culture while also expressing respect for its leadership.” 

Most of us agree that we should pray for our U.S. government, but what happens when Christian friends disagree over ways our country should be run? Can we disagree and still be respectful.

My mother used to say, “Little Smarty had a party, and nobody came but Little Smarty.” If you’re a smart alec, you probably won’t have a lot of friends. A “smart alec” is defined as “a person who is irritating because they behave as if they know everything.” On Facebook, I read witty, smart alec-ky remarks about politicians. Those remarks could hurt or end friendships.

In a letter to the Ashburn Psychological & Psychiatric Services, a lady wrote:  

“Dr. Mike,

“My husband and I have watched politics ruin many of our closest friends’ relationships and now it’s happening to us. I’m wanting to unfriend certain friends on-line because of what I see them posting, and I also don’t even want to have some people in my life anymore at all because their views are so different from ours.  

“My husband and I are Christians, and we’ve always tried to be non-critical and patient in God’s light, but it’s getting harder to do with everything that’s happening in the U.S. right now.   

“This has also been very painful for me since some of the friends I no longer wish to have in my life are lifelong friends from college or high school. Your advice is appreciated.

“Upset in Loudoun”

Dr. Mike replied:

“Dear Upset in Loudoun, 

“You’ve probably heard the saying that you should never discuss politics, religion and money with people, but those topics (and several other sensitive ones) are being discussed publicly now more than ever on social media and in our lives.  Sure, openly sharing your views on a personally charged topic with friends – on or off line – can be productive, but the risk for upset and hurt can also be great. But these are the times we live in, and avoiding social media or public opinion isn’t always realistic or possible.”

Dr. Mike advises that lady to assess each friendship rather than lumping all of her friends into a group to break up with.   

“If you’re a Republican is it really the case that you can’t have any friends who are Democrats or vice versa?” Dr. Mike asks. “In assessing each friendship, I think you should carefully think through the things that drew you to that person to begin with; shared values, common interests, etc.  … You can always openly discuss your concerns and differences with that friend, and even agree to disagree when it comes to politics, without having to part ways. Just like you might have long time friends with different cultural backgrounds and/or religious beliefs, why can’t you maintain friendships with others who hold different political views?”

We sometimes have to avoid some subjects with certain friends. 

Dr. Mike admits, however, “If your friends’ views are too off-putting for you to tolerate and accept in the friendship, then perhaps it’s time to move on."

But Thomas Jefferson said, “I never consider a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy as a cause for withdrawing from a friend.” 

Paul said, “ If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18).

Rejoice Despite Circumstances

“Cheer up. Things could be worse,” someone said. 

So, I cheered up, and, sure enough, things got worse. 

That old joke has a Murphy’s Law flavor.

Murphy's Law is the name given to an adage (a short saying about general truth) that sounds similar to the original Murphy’s Law: “If something can go wrong, it will.” 

Edward Murphy, an engineer working on a project at Edwards Air Force Base, found a technician’s error and said, “If there's any way to do it wrong, he will find it.” That kind of statement became known as “Murphy’s Law.”  

Here is another Murphy’s Law proverb: “You never find a lost article until you replace it.” 

Remember the old “Hee-Haw” TV show (1969-1992). A segment showed a quartet of “po folks” singing this ditty written by Buck Owens and Roy Clark: 

   “Gloom, despair, and agony on me. 

   “Deep, dark depression, excessive misery. 

   “If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.

   “Gloom, despair, and agony on me.” 

That expresses how some people feel about life. Though Christians should not feel that way, some may.  

“Discipline is important,” Pastor Raymond D. Burrows said during a recent Bible study, as he talked about trusting God and rejoicing “in” God when things seem to be going wrong. “‘Disciple’ means ‘learner.’”

He talked about Paul and Silas and their run-in with a strange woman (Acts 16) in Philippi, a then-big city in Macedonia (northwest of Greece). 

“They had been directed by God to go into Macedonia but were beaten,” Pastor said. “We’re to rejoice whether things go well or not.”

Why did Paul and Silas get beatings and land in jail?

We’re told that a woman, a “damsel possessed with a spirit of divination,” followed Paul and Silas, crying out, “These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.” 

“Divination” involves fortune-telling and trying to find out the future by supernatural means. Some call such people soothsayers.

That woman continued often hollering and directing attention to herself for many days. Paul became fed up — well, the Bible says he was “grieved” — and he turned and said to the spirit inside her, “I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And the spirit came out, then! 

Things went downhill fast!  

She’d been making lots of money for her masters by her soothsaying. 

Once the evil spirit left the woman, her masters saw their profits from her soothsaying were going bye-bye. They blew their tops, grabbed Paul and Silas, and dragged them before the judges at the marketplace.  

“These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, and teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans,” the merchants said as a crowd grew angry.   

The judges ordered Paul and Silas beaten. 

They ended up in pain, in stocks, in an inner dungeon. But at midnight, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to God, and the prisoners heard them. 

If most of us were in their place, we might be moaning, groaning, and wondering if God cared about us. Paul said he’d been directed by God to visit Macedonia and did not seem discouraged by a severe beating and being thrown in jail.    

“Rejoicing is ‘in the Lord,’ not in our life’s circumstances,” Pastor said. Rejoicing in the Lord enables us to have a focus on and trust in the Lord.” 

No negative factors seem to take Paul and Silas’ minds away from God.

“We usually think our rejoicing is associated with life’s blessings,” Pastor said. “But our rejoicing must be in God, not in life’s blessings. Too much depends on life situations — gloom, despair, agony, etc. We need to say, ‘Lord, I’m rejoicing in YOU. I think that’s a discipline we can develop and maintain this year.”

As Paul and Silas sang and worshiped, a miracle happened.   

“And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.”

“There is a powerful effect from God’s people when they’re rejoicing,” Pastor said. “I think the Lord has put this in my heart — for me, maybe for all of us. Rejoice ‘in the Lord.’ I do think we can develop this discipline of rejoicing in the Lord.”

Joseph Stepped Up to Fill His Role

 

"Joseph and Mary" (envelope art by Steve Crain)

  “Expecting a Messiah was infused into the Jews,” Pastor Burrows said.

  Pastor Raymond D. Burrows talked about Joseph, Jesus’ “earthly father,” in the Tuesday Bible Study held at 10 a.m., Dec. 08, 2020, at Faith Temple Church, Taylors, SC.  

He read about a serpent in Genesis 3:14-15 (KJV). 

“In some way, Satan entered into the body of the serpent to tempt Adam and Eve,” Evangelist Don Stewart says. “The serpent was the instrument the Devil used to do his bidding.” 

God cursed the serpent: 

“Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.”  

God then said:

“And I will put enmity [hostility] between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” 

“Genesis 3:15 is commonly referred to as the first mention of the good news of salvation in the Bible,” sources say. The bruising of the heel of the seed of the woman is taken to mean the crucifixion of Christ. 

Louis Berkhof says, “The death of Christ, who is in a preeminent sense the seed of the woman, will mean the defeat of Satan.” 

The Amplified Bible indicates that “the woman’s seed” is more than mankind in general; it is an individual representing all mankind.”  

The Gen. 3:15 prophecy means that Satan hurt Christ, but Christ dealt a death blow to Satan (by “crushing his head”). The heel-bite is set in contrast to the head-crush, someone said.

From Creation until the coming of the Messiah was “about 4,000 years,” Pastor Burrows said, adding that Christ filled the roles of prophet, priest, and king and that “no human being could fill those three roles.” 

Pastor Burrows said he believes Joseph had a solid foundation in the Old Testament and knew about the Gen. 3:15 prophecy.

We read about Joseph’s response to Mary’s pregnancy in Matthew 1:18-25 KJV:

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

19 “Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.”

Note: Mary became pregnant before she and Joseph experienced marital intimacy. Joseph thought about ending their relationship. The New International Version translates that passage as: “Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

Let’s continue reading at verse 20: 

20 “But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

21 “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

22 “Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

23 “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

24 “Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

25 “And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.” 

Joseph’s knowledge of Old Testament prophecies perhaps helped cause him to accept his role as Mary’s husband. When “the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream,” that convinced him. (We read in Deut. 19:15, “ … at the mouth of two witnesses … shall the matter be established.” Prophecy was a witness, and an angel was a witness.)

“God uses his word to stabilize his people,” Pastor Burrows said. “Whoever stands on his word will not be shaken because his word will not be shaken. One of the effects of prayer is enabling us to accept the Father’s will. Was Joseph simply accepting the choices God made for his life? Joseph was a noble guy. He was Mary’s protector, her provider. He took the man’s role. He stepped up to the task.” 

Ms. Beatrice Whitman, an attendee at the Tuesday study group,  said, “I think Joseph must have really loved Mary.”

“Joseph had to be a special person, being Jesus’ earthly father,” Ms. Linda Trammell said.

Mrs. Guynelle Rainey: Her Labors Follow Her

  My wife, Barbara, and I attended, on Sat., Oct. 24, 2020, the 2:00 p.m. funeral of Mrs. Margie Guynelle Owens Rainey, 74, a Greer native and 1964 Blue Ridge High graduate. She died on Oct. 19. 

The funeral was held at Washington Baptist Church (Hwy. 14, north of Greer, SC), the home church for Mrs. Rainey and her husband, Lawrence Earl Rainey, Jr.

Barbara knew Gynelle and Earl Rainey from “car cruise-ins.” Some cruise-ins were staged at the Lil Rebel restaurant on Hwy 290. Car shows and cruise-ins grew popular in the 1980s — when some older cars started becoming classics, sources say.  

Barbara and her late husband, Toy Richard Robertson, drove their black 1955 Chevrolet 210 and their 1979 burgundy Monte Carlo to car cruise-ins. Earl drove a 1957 black Ford, and Guynelle drove a red-and-white 1956 Ford.

I did not know Guynelle but knew Earl. He and his parents attended Faith Temple when I was a boy. Earl’s parents were Mr. Lawrence E. Rainey, Sr. (May 6, 1897—Jan. 9, 1974), and Mrs. Jeanette S. Rainey (Sept. 1906— May 31, 1973). Their remains are buried in the Faith Temple cemetery.

The late Pastor James H. Thompson sometimes asked Earl Jr. to play hymns on the piano at Faith Temple (in the original church building). 

Earl’s mother was a piano player and piano teacher. Around my fourth-grade year, I took lessons for a while. My late sister, Shirley, then in first grade, also took lessons. One lesson cost 50 cents. Mrs. Rainey was kind and patient. 

I learned some songs but was more interested in what Earl was doing. Earl, born in 1945 and two years older than I, created a trail down through the woods behind his house and built a motor-less dragster out of wood and wheels. He let me drive his cart on that trail. He created bows from hickory saplings and sold me one for 50 cents. I lost track of his family as life moved on. I heard he became a good mechanic.  

Barbara and I viewed photos of Earl and Guynelle’s family before the funeral began. The Rev. Keith Kelley spoke, followed by the Rev. Joel Rainey, the older of the Rainey’s two sons. 

“I learned from her,” he said.

His mother was affected by dementia for five years and eventually lived in a nursing home. Joel recently visited his mother and heard her amazingly sing “every word of every hymn” played on a nurse’s phone. When she sang “Blessed Assurance, he was moved. 

“I lost my control at that,” he said. “In that room, I saw a woman who was blessed. She was blessed because she was filled.”

He praised his father for the quality of care his father gave his mother.

“Only one individual could love her more than Daddy,” he said, “and He’s got her now.”

The Rev. Billy Cashion, a former pastor at Washington Baptist Church (WBC), read Ecclesiastes 3:4: [There is] “A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.” 

“‘A time to laugh’ reminds me of her,” he said. “I loved that lady.” 

He told of their good-natured exchanges. She told him that she was named “Guynelle” because her father’s name was “Guy” and her father’s mule was named “Nell.” 

Pastor Cashion said that Guynelle had a gift of hospitality and passed down her wit. He visited the family when the Rainey sons, Joel and Jason, were small. Joel once told him, “I’m gonna be Superman.” Another time, Joel said, “I’m gonna be a preacher, just like you, but I’m gonna run a store during the week so I’ll have something to do.”

Cashion said, “A godly wife and a godly husband raised two godly sons … Her labors will follow her.”

“You Baptists don’t get upset,” Cashion said before he related that Guynelle said she sometimes danced in front of her TV while Christian music played.

Dr. Drew Hines, Washington Baptist’s pastor came to WBC 19 years ago. He recalled that Guynelle and her GAs (Girls in Action) “put on a dinner for us.” He said she sometimes pulled small children through the church building in a little wagon, stopping to explain things about church life. She “loved missions” and had served as WMU (Woman's Missionary Union) director and GA director. 

Dr. Hines said Guynelle had a “sweet smile … a beautiful smile that begins in the heart and soul and ends up on the face.” He said Earl referred to her as “my dear wife” and had said, “If it hadn’t have been for Guynelle, I don’t know where I’d be today.” 

“And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them” (Revelation 14:13).

ENCOURAGEMENT: We All Need It and Need to Give It

 Pastor Raymond D. Burrows of Faith Temple Church, Taylors, SC, spoke on “Encouragement” during the Aug. 26, 2020, Wednesday night service at the church. 

He read two passages: 

The first Scripture, 1 Sam. 18:1-5, tells that after David killed Goliath, a giant who challenged Israel, David walked into King Saul’s presence — carrying the head of Goliath! Saul questioned David, and Saul’s son, Jonathan, also listened.

“And it came to pass, when he [David] had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. …

“Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.   

“And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle [belt].” 

Pastor Burrows read Acts 4:34-37:

“Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.  

“And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”

“Down through these years, Beloved, there is a subject that is kind of near and dear to my heart,” Pastor Burrows said. “It is the ministry of encouragement.” 

He gave five points about encouragement:

1. Everyone needs encouragement at periodic intervals of life. There are no exceptions — old, young, and in-between are needy. 

2. Everyone can be used of the Spirit to encouragement another person. Everyone. 

“There was a time that King David encouraged himself because all the circumstances were, at that moment, aligned against him,” Pastor Burrows said. “So, we are able to do so for one another, or for ourselves.  

3. Encouragement should be periodically extended.

“As the Lord would give you opportunity, take advantage of it,” Pastor Burrows said.

4. It helps to maximize the potential abilities in another person, whenever you encourage.   

“It might be a child; it might be a fellow worker,” Pastor Burrows said. “But whenever that is done, the abilities of that person often escalate.”   

5. Encouragement dispenses of discouragement.
  “It sort of makes discouragement evaporate or go away,” he said.   

Jonathan was slightly older than David, Pastor Burrows theorized, though probably they were not too different in age. Perhaps Jonathan sensed that David would become king of Israel, though Jonathan was “in line” for the throne.

Jonathan was used mightily to encourage David and proved partly responsible for what David became and accomplished in life, Pastor Burrows said.

“You hold the ability to elevate someone else to a new level, simply by encouragement,” he said. “To encourage, you have to think about the welfare and interest of another person … you forget about yourself, your present situation, etc., and the focus goes to another person.” 

He told about his parents taking his two brothers and him to see his grandparents who “came alive” because of the boys’ childhood visits. The younger people’s presence encouraged the old folk. 

He told of hundreds of hours that he spent, over the years, on the telephone. The receiving person often said, “Thank you for calling. I feel a little better.” 

“May we never forget the power of that virtue called encouragement,” Pastor Burrows said. “Lord, grant me the privilege to be an encourager.”  

He added, “There is a tendency among us to take people for granted — or kind of allow those moments when we can minister into another person’s life to pass through our fingers.”

When you receive encouragement, what should be your response?

“That there would be this ability to reciprocate, to bless, to lift, and to encourage virtually every person you come in contact with,” Pastor Burrows said.

He referred to Barnabas, the “son of consolation” (encouragement) as a person who encouraged the early church, endorsed Paul when the Church was skeptical of Paul, and encouraged John Mark who wrote the Gospel of Mark. 

“You can easily remember the people who lift you,” Pastor Burrows said. “They have a warm place in your heart and mind. They may have left us, but we still love and appreciate them.”