Coventry Guildhall

St Mary’s Guildhall in Coventry is a fine medieval trades hall which also served as an armoury, a royal prison and a host of other intriguing historical roles. Yet it was also here where a once insignificant person came and gave a lecture, back in 1847. The man was former American slave, Fredrick Douglas, whose works are still in print. During his tour of the British Isles, he shared about the horrors of life on the plantations, and urged the great island nation to continue its efforts to suppress the odious trade and the global institution which it fed. He later wrote that the “sea of upturned faces filled me with hope that the day was not far distant when there would be not a slave in all the world”.

Although the USA tore itself apart in its quest to address the question, and the Royal Navy patrolled the Atlantic and Indian Oceans to liberate the captives, this very day unjust labour practices and exploitation remain- nay, thrive. Only when the Great Liberator comes will all slaves and serfs be freed, for only He can deal with man’s sinful nature from which he cannot naturally escape or quell. Yet against these ancient walls and ceilings did a great man’s hope and aspiration echo, one which we know shall be fulfilled when our Saviour comes again.