Stern-Looking But Big-Hearted

Nothing and no one stops the love of God. This same love flowed out of Absalom Jones who was a slave of a merchant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, into a slave named Mary King. Absalom married Mary on January 4, 1770, when he was 23.

Living in bondage is not what Absalom and Mary desired for their children. Under Pennsylvania law, children born to slaves would be slaves. Aristotle wrote that human beings are teleological, which means that we are purpose driven. So Absalom and Mary worked to earn enough money to purchase freedom. During the Revolutionary War Absalom worked until twelve or one o'clock at night to assist his wife.

But their hard work was not enough to buy freedom. So they asked everyone they could, friends, associates and strangers, for donations and loans to purchase Mary's freedom. That did it.

No one fulfills God's plan for her or his life alone. God calls all Christians to help as many people as God leads you to help. Philippians 4:5 the Message Bible says, "Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!"

It would have slowed down the advance of the Kingdom of God if people who God gave them the money and resources to help Absalom and Mary purchase their family's freedom decided to keep the resources to themselves. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 the Message Bible says, "Tell those rich in this world’s wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage—to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous. If they do that, they’ll build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life."

Hebrews 11:6 Amplified Bible says, "But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out]." God rewards faith with work. After eight years by 1778 Absalom paid back the loans given to him.

Stern-looking, but big-hearted Absalom was still a slave, but he continued to work to buy a house for his family. International Christian Minister Ravi Zacharias says, "The greatest compliment I can pay my wife is to let my children know that I love her the way Jesus loved the Church."

Finally, after seven more years Absalom was able to purchase his own freedom.

Please leave an on-line comment sharing notable African-American love stories.

Lovers like Absalom and Mary are the kind of people who founded the black church in America which was very active in assisting people with various needs. They also give us examples today of how to love our spouses.

Love opens up opportunites. Absalom went on to found the St. Thomas African Episcopal Church on July 17, 1794, and he became the first black American to become an ordained priest.