A Dark Soul with a Silver Lining

He was only a short distance from shore when all of a sudden a huge male slave appeared before him bearing broken chains and torn flesh. Startled and horrified he took a defensive position as if he expected an attack. Focusing on his surroundings revealed other slave men and women emerging from the depts of the ocean moving toward him. Soon there were dozens if not hundreds of slaves emerging and all moving in to form a complete wall that prevented him from escape of any kind.

Without warning the movement stopped and the crowd parted allowing what seem to be a young lady carrying a baby to come forward, she handed him her child. Seeing the child still had the umbilical cord still attached brought him to a frightening conclusion. These were not apparitions who arbitrarily chose him, these were men and women he had tossed from the deck of his ship. This particular young lady gave birth aboard his ship but was tossed over because she could not be given medical attention. He saw no sense in wasting food on cargo that would surely die before he could reach port. He remembered the look in her eye hoisted onto the rail as she tried frantically to hand him her baby, before she was tossed overboard.

It was at that moment he fell to his knees and begged for forgiveness. In an effort to atone for the harm he inflicted on others this ship captain started a ministry and devoted the rest of his life trying to right the wrong of slavery. Even harder to believe that moment inspired him to write the most inspirational song in the history of Christian music. That song was Amazing Grace.

A dark cloud with yet another silver lining.

Coincidentally this was the same captain that brought Kunta Kinta to America, the great great great great grandfather of Alex Haley author of roots. The name of this notorious humanitarian was James P. Newton.

Whenever you visit Tennessee a quick stop by Mr. Haley’s home/ museum in Henning is a must