Every Christian wants to make a difference. But few of us know how to turn that desire into action. We look around at all the needs and opportunities, and we think to ourselves, “So . . . what do I already have that can make actually a difference?”
There are countless ways to answer that question. But here’s one easy answer that’s usually overlooked: “Your friends!” Let me explain.
WILBERFORCE’S CLAPHAM SOCIETY
In the late 18th century, a group of influential friends coalesced around the personality and vision of William Wilberforce, the charismatic MP for Yorkshire who successfully led a decades-long abolitionist campaign in Britain. Though Wilberforce the man united the group, it was his cause that drew this eclectic collective together. They’re known to history as the Clapham Society (or the Clapham Sect), and they draw their name from a well-known district in south London where many members lived and met together. Apart from Wilberforce, the Clapham Society included Hannah More, John Newton, John Venn, Henry Thornton, Thomas Clarkson, and several others.
In his excellent biography of Wilberforce, William Hauge describes this extraordinary network of friendships. He writes,
Wholly relaxed in each other’s company, they observed no restrictions in
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