Maybe it's just me. But when I think of people who are "super spiritual," I always envision those who withdraw from society. I think of the otherworldly ones — mystics and monks or even that old prayer warrior at church. You know the one I'm talking about: the blue-haired saint who beseeches God endlessly behind closed doors.

Maybe my high esteem for them stems partly from my pathetic inability to pray for more than 20 minutes without losing focus or falling asleep.

The problem is that my thinking about such "super Christians" tends to exclude Christians who are more action oriented — those called to live out their faith in the context of the public square.

What shatters such thinking is the life of 19th century Politician and Abolitionist, William Wilberforce. Wilberforce is the subject of a new movie, Amazing Grace, which opens on Feb. 23. The film's release is timed to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in England.

I plan to be first in line at the theater opening night. Let me tell you why. Lately Wilberforce has become something of a hero to me. His life stands as a stirring testament to what can happen when someone decides to make private faith a public affair.

Not that Wilberforce started out as a firebrand. Ironically, the man who would do so much to transform society suffered the same misperception as me at the outset of his spiritual journey. He thought that Christian spirituality demanded retreating from the world. This conviction created a dilemma. When Wilberforce became a Christian at the age of 25, he had already established himself in British politics. But he didn't believe that he could continue in a secular career as a Christian. Politics, he reasoned, was no place for a man of faith. But what could he do? Politics was his field. It was where he excelled. It was what he had trained for.

That's when he received some sage advice from his friend John Newton (yes, that John Newton, the one who wrote the song, "Amazing Grace"). Newton counseled the young convert to remain in politics. The moment is depicted in the upcoming movie. "The principles of Christianity," says Newton's character, "require action as well as meditation."

"Action as well as meditation." Those may have not been the exact words the historical Newton used to coach Wilberforce. But according to the records they do convey the gist of his message — a message which Wilberforce took to heart. Soon after their talk Wilberforce decided not only to continue his political career, but to do so passionately, using his influence to wage a tireless war against slavery and other scourges of his day.

Success didn't come quickly. When it came to slavery, Wilberforce had his work cut out for him. England's powerful economy was reliant on the slave trade. In 1789 Wilberforce made his first speech on slavery in the House of Commons, arguing that the practice was morally reprehensible. The next year the Parliament agreed to consider the evidence he had compiled on the issue and in 1791 Wilberforce put forth the first parliamentary Bill to abolish slavery. Unfortunately the Bill was defeated by a vote of 163 to 88.

But Wilberforce was far from done. He redoubled his efforts. Along with his fellow abolitionists, Wilberforce mobilized a campaign to shift public opinion on the issue. He raised it in parliament again, though his next efforts, in 1792, 1793, 1795, 1796 and 1797, were all unsuccessful.

Where others may have grown discouraged, Wilberforce pressed on. And he didn't confine his activism to one cause. Moved to reform English society as a whole, he also issued a "Proclamation for the Discouragement of Vice" which aimed to curb the growing immorality in English society.

Additionally Wilberforce promoted legislation that opened the way for missions to India, pushed for child labor laws, advocated for the education of the disabled and founded the African Institution to improve the lives of slaves living in the West Indies. He even founded a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

However, Wilberforce's greatest passion was still abolishing slavery. By 1804 the winds of public opinion were blowing in his favor, in no small part due to the impassioned writings of himself and fellow abolitionists. This time when Wilberforce pushed the Bill it passed the House of Commons, but by the time it did, it was too late in the session to pass the House of Lords, a crucial step in order for the bill to become law. The next year, Wilberforce reintroduced the Bill, but this time it was defeated on the second reading.

Wilberforce did not wait idly by for another chance. As he awaited another opportunity to push the Bill, he proposed a different, related piece of legislation. The Foreign Slave Trade Act prohibited British subjects from participating in the slave trade to the French colonies.

The Bill passed easily.

The maneuver was a savvy one, as it effectively shut down two-thirds of the British slave trade. During this time Wilberforce also wrote an influential essay, "A Letter on the Abolition of the Slave Trade," which included much of the evidence against slavery that had been gathered. It was published in 1807 and paved the way for the ultimate success of the antislavery Bill. That year the Bill passed the House of Lords, the House of Commons and then the "Slave Trade Act" received the Royal Assent on March 25th.

Still, the Act did not completely end the practice of slavery and Wilberforce soldiered on for the cause until suffering an eventually fatal bout of influenza in 1833. On July 26 of that year he received the news with great joy that the Bill had finally passed its third reading in the House of Commons. The next day Wilberforce died.

The life of this extraordinary man, who lived two centuries ago, still speaks clearly today. His sheer passion and persistence should inspire us to live our faith out loud, confident that the God who changed us is able to change our world too.

Yes, a rich devotional life is essential. Being spiritual means seeking God on our knees. But Wilberforce's example reminds us that the Christian life also involves serving God on our feet. Sometimes faith is about contemplating the love of God. And sometimes it's about arguing aggressively in a noisy parliament. Sometimes it's singing choruses at church. On other occasions it means standing for truth at work. It demands meditation and action.

We need more Wilberforces today. Our world is still marred by injustice and sin. There's no shortage of atrocities to tackle: sex slavery, abortion, genocide, hunger, poverty. The list goes on.

To combat these ills we need Christians who are unafraid and unashamed of championing the values of the gospel in the public arena. We need leaders dedicated to changing the world for the good of humanity and the glory of God.

We are not all called to conventional ministry. But we are all called to be salt and light where God places us. When we are faithful in heeding that call, God always does His part. And suddenly, like Wilberforce did, we see the world begin to change.