Lucinda Hazard

“For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.” 1 Corinthians 14:33

Yes – peace. To find peace with God… that is assuming that we desire peace… first with God… if so, then our neighbor. What did the Apostle Paul say? “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”

What a caveat! “So far as it depends upon you and me.” Only by the grace of God…  

Now to my story: Lucinda Hazard was a young girl, born in Connecticut around 1831. Her father was a man of color… her mother a woman of white. Of course, history records the turbulence of those divided times… north and south. The Canton area of Connecticut was a hot bed of northern anti-slavery movement, religious missions and of course, the politics. My 5th great grandmother, Naomi Humphrey Barbour, lived in Canton. She was 1st cousin of John Brown of the Harper’s Ferry incursion where John hoped to secure weapons from the armory to arm the slaves. I mention Naomi and John only to establish the irony of Lucinda’s story that there, in the midst of the antebellum fervor of those times, young Lucinda got caught up. That leads us back to her story. So, to press on with the oppressed, here the little girl was – of a light colored dark skin – she was spurned by those attending the local church. If it wasn’t for Naomi taking the young Lucinda under her wing and teaching her, it’s unlikely Lucinda would have received any Bible training and instruction. Why did Naomi do so? It’s historically noted,  ‘She was obliged, on account of the clamor that the young girl raised because of her presence. Lucinda needed ‘to leave the school for a season.’ As a result, Naomi took Lucinda under wing. Lucinda had been living with other Humphrey family members. Suffice it to say that Naomi’s sense of duty, steeped in kindness and charity would profoundly impact her.   

Years later, September 7, 1859, Lucinda wrote her dear childhood friend Pluma – Naomi’s daughter – a letter of fond remembrance of her mother. Lucinda wrote the letter from Monrovia, Liberia, Africa: 

“I often think of you and your dear mother and sisters, brothers and father. When shall I see you again? Will it be this side of the grave? Perhaps so – some of you – still it is doubtful. But I know you are praying for me. Oh how home and childhood scenes rush upon me at times. Well do I remember the time when your dear mother took me by the hand, and led me into her Sabbath-school class and gave me a seat at her side, because some of the class did not want to sit beside a black girl. I now feel that these trials, though then I was but a child of seven or eight years old, had their influence on me for good. You, as a good daughter, always stood by my side, a friend. God will bless you for it. I bless you, far off in this heathen land. The missionary work is prospering in Africa. God loves his work, even here.”

You know I started off talking about disorder and peace, and Paul’s admonition that we live in peace… so far as we are able. How do we do that when we live in divided, fractured times? It’s something to unpack, I suppose…. yes, if we are so desiring.