WASHINGTON — The US of America – the world’s “Nice Melting Pot.”
Every one that arrived on this nation got here with a novel household historical past of how their ancestors put an imprint on their life.
But, with all that variety, we’re usually extra related than you may think.
Matthew Lockett is the great-grandchild of farmers and a pro-life advocate.
“He would truly make a joke out of it, my dad, I assume we’re only a bunch of mutts from Kentucky,” Lockett advised CBN Information.
A Descendant of Slaves Shares Message of Racial Therapeutic
Will Ford is the descendant of slaves. He travels the nation sharing a message of racial therapeutic.
“They did not assume they’d see freedom of their time, so that they prayed for the liberty of their youngsters and the subsequent technology,” Ford defined of his ancestors.
Worlds Collide at Lincoln Memorial
They had been two males, coming from totally different backgrounds and pursuing separate missions till their worlds collided after they attended the identical prayer assembly on the Lincoln Memorial.
“I present up on the Lincoln Memorial due to this dream. I do not know why I am there. However that was the primary place that Will and I got here collectively,” Lockett recalled.
They then attended a church service later that evening the place Ford talked about his ancestors’ prayer kettle, a pot utilized by slaves to muffle their voices throughout secret prayer conferences.
That story led to a deeper dialog, which resulted in a friendship and an surprising partnership.
The Message of the Prayer Kettle
“We simply began operating across the nation collectively, doing prayer conferences,” Lockett defined.
“The Lord stated this to me, ‘If I heard the silent whispers of slaves below kettle pots, how far more do I hear the silent screams of infants being aborted on this nation?'” Ford recalled.
Over the subsequent decade, they unfold a message of life and love: love for each the particular person subsequent to you, no matter race, and love for the unborn.
Stunning Discovery
That is solely a part of their deep connection, nevertheless. Lockett says there was one thing about their assembly that first evening, and he could not let it go.
“He shared part of the story that shocked me. The kettle had been handed all the way down to Harriet Lockett,” stated Lockett.
Years of analysis led to a shocking discovery.
“My oldest recognized member of the family was a person named Isaac Lockett. All these Locketts on that record had been from Virginia. The one Locketts in Virginia at the moment was Matt’s household,” stated Ford.
“After doing 4 months of analysis and one other complete 12 months of analysis, we have discovered via empirical analysis that Matt’s household is the household that owned my household,” stated Ford.
Sobering Realities and Soul Looking out
That revelation led to some troublesome soul looking.
“Matt’s household owned my household, and I needed to wrestle with that. We had tales handed down in our household of slaves being beat to demise for merely going fishing with out asking. I actually needed to reconcile some issues. I actually needed to forgive Matt’s household for proudly owning my household,” stated Ford.
Lockett calls it a studying expertise for him as effectively.
“There’s many occasions, notably with white America, there could be an perspective that when these points are mentioned, the historical past of slavery, the lingering ache, there generally is a destructive perspective that type of dismisses it and says ‘Look, you were not there. I wasn’t there. Recover from it,'” stated Lockett.
“There may be very actual historical past, there’s a very actual ache related to it generationally. And now that ache had a face, and it was the face that I like,” he continued.
What may have torn them aside and ended their ministry as a substitute strengthened their resolve to go additional.
“God is elevating up a united church to heal a divided nation,” stated Ford.
No Coincidences – Solely Divine Windfall
Lockett and Ford see now that every a part of their story, even the powerful elements, got here by design.
They imagine there are not any coincidences, and even the situation of that first assembly was via divine Windfall.
It was in entrance of the Lincoln Memorial the place, virtually 55 years in the past, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech.
Talking to the crowds, King dreamed that “sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave homeowners will be capable of sit down collectively on the desk of brotherhood.”
The Message God Is Shouting to America
Lockett and Ford imagine they’re dwelling examples of the dream fulfilled, and that permits them to journey the nation collectively, sharing their dream for the church.
“I believe what God is shouting to America proper now’s ‘What storyline do you wish to be part of the therapeutic or the harm? The blessing or the cursing?” Ford said.
Two males, from totally different backgrounds sharing a shock connection and pursuing the frequent mission of unity, life, and therapeutic.
***Please join CBN Information emails and the CBN Information app to make sure you preserve receiving information from a Christian Perspective.***
***This story was first revealed in 2018
