Harriet's Story

The Bible instructs us about the reliability of prayer and can remind us of the necessity of it as we
seek to follow the Lord's will. 1st John 5 states:
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

We are called to follow the will of God, and admittedly, it can sometimes be difficult to know what God's will actually is.  But, we have the authority of Scripture and the availability to the Spirit to direct us, and He will direct us to pray so that we can be brought into conformity with His will.  We each have directives from the Lord that He calls us to fulfill; a role in His overall story.  And, we can rely on Him to manifest His presence through us.

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In 1st Chronicles 16, we find a reminder from David to seek the Lord and to avail ourselves to the strength that He wants to willingly give to us:
8 Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!
9 Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works!
10 Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
11 Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!

The premiere of the movie called, Harriet, about the life of Harriet Tubman, has provided a fresh awareness of this heroic historical character.  She received a well-deserved wave of publicity a number of years ago when it was determined that her face would adorn a twenty-dollar bill - that process continues, although, as USA Today reports, that may not occur until the year 2028, not 2020, as originally planned.

And, in playing the role of Harriet Tubman, who was apparently a women of committed faith, the actress Cynthia Erivo says she grew in her faith.

A Faithwire story says this:

Playing Harriet Tubman was not an easy feat for Erivo, as she was such a remarkable woman, with a powerful story. Erivo shared with the crowd how there was one scene in particular where Tubman was fearful of failing her first rescue mission.

The article continues:

“The only thing I could do, really, to center myself was to pray,” Erivo shared, according to AmboTV. “And I was listening to Gospel music just before I went in. And as I walked in to say that prayer, it didn’t feel like I was just saying it as Harriet. It felt like I was saying it as me.”

The actress explained how the role opened her eyes to the significance and impact faith has on one’s life, sustaining her throughout the film.

“I think the thing that happened as that was happening and throughout, was my faith got stronger,” Erivo added. “The idea that faith really can bring you through something. That was an intense ‘Oh I get it now. I understand.’’’

So, who was Harriet Tubman?  The Faithwire article quoted from the synopsis for the film:

Based on the thrilling and inspirational life of an iconic American freedom fighter, “Harriet” tells the extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman’s escape from slavery and transformation into one of America’s greatest heroes. Her courage, ingenuity, and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history.

And, a Christianity Today story covers some of the faith aspects of her journey.  First, a bit of biographical information:

After she escaped slavery in 1849, Tubman worked as the only female conductor on the Underground Railroad, assisting escapees along a short route through free states. She was one of the few who at great risk entered slave-holding states to extract slaves and lead them north to freedom. Nicknamed “Moses” by abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, very few knew Harriet’s real identity; most assumed a man was making these voyages. Tubman also served in the US army as a nurse, advisor, scout, and spy. Her greatest feat in the service was leading the charge that freed over 750 slaves in the Combahee River Raid in South Carolina.

The author of the article, Jenny McGill, talked with Kate Clifford Larson, who wrote Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman, Portrait of an American Hero.  About Tubman, Larson related:

She was raised in a deeply spiritual and faithful community—a community imbued with both African and Christian traditions. The seizures she experienced after a near-fatal head injury only enhanced her feeling that God was always surrounding her, loving her, and protecting her. She spoke of how sometimes God spoke to her and guided her and, even though she didn’t always understand the purpose or intent of the message, she trusted God and followed what she heard. Her faith sustained her through her darkest hours of fear, hopelessness, and loneliness.

Larson says, "...she knew, like other enslaved people, that slavery was a sin. She knew that God intended for her to be free and that God was guiding her to free others," and stated, "The film makes it clear that she trusts God completely, even when she has doubts and fears."

Well, that is certainly something we all can consider, based on these personal stories - the importance of trusting God completely.  We each have a purpose and we will receive certain, as it's been said, assignments from the Lord. The actress, Cynthia Erivo, had an assignment, and she discovered that in playing a character who trusted God, that it affected her own faith - and she needed prayer to fulfill what she was assigned to do.  So do we: in order to fulfill God's call, we need to remain in communication with Him, reliant on His strength.

Harriet Tubman was freed from slavery, and she believed the Lord in her endeavor to take others to freedom.  That is a representation of the Christian life - because we have been set free by Christ, we can help to bring others to freedom in Christ through their knowledge of Him.

I also think there is something to be said about the role of music. Tubman used spirituals to send signals to refugees along the Underground Railroad, according to Larson. And, Erivo said she listened to gospel music prior to acting in a critical scene.  Exposure to God-honoring music can be helpful in our own spiritual journey as well, and we can expect Him to use music in our lives to help us grow and to worship.