Great Americans of Faith: Harriet Tubman (c. 1822–1913)

As we continue our summer theme, "Courage for the Unknown," we will spend the next few weeks lifting up great Americans of faith and their call to courage in our nation’s history. There may be few Americans whose life better embodies this call than Harriet Tubman.

Born into enslavement in Maryland around 1822, Tubman knew danger from a young age. As a child, she suffered a severe head injury after an overseer threw a heavy object that struck her. The injury left her with chronic illness including periods of pain, fatigue, and vivid dreams and visions. Yet through her life, Tubman developed an abiding faith in God.

Tubman often spoke of her relationship with God in direct terms. She prayed constantly and believed God guided her. Faith was not merely an idea for her; it was a source of courage, wisdom, and hope. She once said, "I always told God, I'm going to hold steady on You, and You've got to see me through."

In 1849, Tubman escaped enslavement. She could have remained in the North. Instead, she made a remarkable decision: she returned again and again to lead others to freedom through the Underground Railroad. Historians estimate that she personally guided around seventy people to freedom and assisted many more through her network of support. Every journey carried enormous risk. Capture likely would’ve led to imprisonment, violence, or death.

Harriet Tubman's story has always reminded me that courage is not the absence of fear. Tubman could not know what would happen on each journey. She did not have any guarantees or easy answers. And yet she had courage and trusted that God would be present on the path ahead.

As we carry on with Esther’s story this week, I hear echoes of Tubman’s story throughout. Esther also faced an impossible choice. She could’ve remained silent to preserve her safety, but she risked everything for her people and chose to speak up. Likewise, it would’ve been understandable for Tubman to choose self-preservation. But her faith drew her toward solidarity and liberation.

Our nation is approaching its 250th anniversary, and stories like Harriet Tubman's offer us gratitude and challenge. We give thanks for the ideals of liberty and equality, and we remember that those promises have not been available to everyone. Tubman's life reminds us not only to celebrate freedom but also to ask where freedom remains incomplete and where God is inviting us to participate in its expansion.

As Christians, courage is not dramatic heroism. It is simply this: to trust God enough to take the next faithful step, to stand with the vulnerable, and to keep believing that love and justice are worth the risk.

Peace,

Pastor Katie