RIPPLES ON THE POND:
Walden Media's Homeschool Newsletter  

Amazing Grace...More than a Movie, a Movement
Bristol Bay Productions, Walden's sister company, is preparing for the February 23, 2007 release of Amazing Grace. The film tells the epic story of William Wilberforce's campaign to stop slavery in England. There is a great deal of anticipation surrounding its release because Wilberforce is one of history's stirring examples of heroic individual initiative in overcoming injustice. His life has been an inspiration to many leaders in American public life, and yet his life and accomplishments remain largely unknown. Surveys show that only 16% of homeschoolers are familiar with Wilberforce. He ranks with Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Alexander Solzhenitsyn. The bicentennial of the abolition of slavery in 1807 is a fitting time to bring his story to a new generation of young men and women.

The film has many themes worth discussing: deep faith, youthful idealism, focused calling, sacrificial perseverance, untarnished integrity, bipartisan politics, committed friendships, grassroots mobilization, and winsome persuasion.

None is more central than the sheer audacity of an apprentice of Jesus taking on the most economically and institutionally embedded social evil of his day--an evil that was largely invisible to the English public. His task was more than political; it involved a national hearts and minds campaign, awakening the conscience of a nation. This was the first public relations campaign of its kind. The abolition of slavery would have been impossible apart from his efforts to restore morals among England's upper class. Wilberforce was able to make doing good a public virtue. Like Abraham Lincoln after him, he was able to call upon the "better angels of our nature" and articulate a vision for the common good.

This film is more than a movie. It is the start of a movement. It is the opportunity at the beginning of this century to call our children to dream of a better world, to address our ecological, economic, social, and spiritual challenges.

The film has over 75 partners who are using it to mobilize action. This is not a "feel good movie." It is rather a "get going movie." One initiative being undertaken is The Amazing Change campaign, which aspires to bring an end to modern day slavery and human trafficking.

You can learn more at amazingchange.com.

There is a desperate need for Wilberforce-like leaders today and this film has the potential of kindling the imagination of those resisting the inertia and cynicism of personal peace and affluence. It asks, "What would it take to change the world?" It begins with a vision of what is possible. It begins with believing that with God nothing is impossible. Amazing Grace is a film that celebrates what was achieved once. It can happen again.

The trailer can be viewed at amazinggracemovie.com.

"Hero for Humanity" -- A Documentary
Asbury College has prepared an eleven-minute documentary on the historical background of William Wilberforce's great campaign, which can be accessed at amazinggracemovie.com. This is a good place to begin if you are unfamiliar with this inspiring story and godly politician.

Zach Hunter Calls on Kids to Get Involved
A seventh-grader from Virginia, Zach Hunter, began the Loose Change to Loosen Chains program to raise money through schools and youth groups to rescue victims of slavery worldwide. He is also the student spokesperson for Walden Media's social justice campaign, The Amazing Change. In March, Zondervan is scheduled to release Hunter's Be the Change: Your Guide to Freeing Slaves and Changing the World in Other Ways.

When he first learned that millions of people, including children, around the world are slaves, he knew he had to do something about it. Zach grew up learning about America's history of slavery, from the Civil War to the civil rights movement. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., William Wilberforce, and Mother Teresa were among his heroes. "When I heard about how slavery was going on in the world, I just thought that was really, really unfair," Zach said. "So I decided to start the Loose Change to Loosen Chains campaign, because I've always sort of had a sense of right and wrong and a sense of justice." He has worked closely with the International Justice Mission.

Brief Wilberforce Bibliography
Homeschoolers are readers. Amazing Grace is a film that brings to life the history of three overlapping lives: John Newton, Olaudah Equiano, and William Wilberforce. Here is a list of books that tell their story.

Ted Baehr, Susan Wales, and Ken Wales. 2007. The Amazing Grace of Freedom. New Leaf Publishing Group.

Kevin Belmonte. 2000. Hero for Humanity: A Biography of William Wilberforce. NavPress.

Bob Beltz, 2007. William Wilberforce: Real Christianity. Regal.

Zach Hunter. 2007. Be the Change: Your Guide to Freeing Slaves and Changing the World in Other Ways. Zondervan.

Eric Metaxas. 2007. Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery. HarperSanFrancisco.

Steve Turner. 2003. Amazing Grace: The Story of America's Most Beloved Song. Ecco.