“It is not where you are from, but where you are going that matters.” – Charles Williams, Ph.D.
I was listening one day to Rust College’s radio station and heard Reverend Annie Travis, the college chaplain, mention her hometown as a place without any famous people.
Rev. Travis also described attending a social event where a lady asked if she was ashamed of her hometown. Rev. Travis responded that she was not ashamed of her hometown because it provided everything that she needed, such as love, family, friends, and security.
Rev. Travis did not tell us how the woman responded to her answer. Nevertheless her message was clear. It is not where you are from, but where you are going that makes all the difference. Rev. Travis further reflected on a passage of scripture, John 1:46 (NRSV), about a man named Nathanael and his conversation with Philip, an apostle of Bethsaida.
They were talking about Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. During the conversation Nathanael asks Philip, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip, in response says to him, “Come and see.”
Both Rev. Travis’ message and Nathanael’s doubts about Jesus being from a small town make me think about Holly Springs, Mississippi. A small-town in the northern part of the state, with a population of approximately 8,000 people, Holly Springs is like Nazareth. Both could easily be overlooked. Yet, just like Nazareth, Holly Springs has a rich history.
In the early 1800’s, according to the civil rights leader Roy Wilkins (1982), Holly Springs was one of the leading centers in Mississippi for selling of enslaved Africans. It was also the home of his grandfather, Asberry Wilkins. Asberry Wilkins, like so many other enslaved African Americans in Marshall County, was owned by William and John Wilkins.
In addition to a having a thriving slave market, Holly Springs also played a major role during the Civil War. It served as home to General Ulysses S. Grant and his family during the war. Holly Springs also served as a supply depot for Grant’s troops.
One of Holly Spring’s greatest claims to fame is being the home of historic Rust College, founded in 1866. Holly Springs is equally as well-known for being home to some of the greatest figures in American history, including civil rights activist Ida B. Wells, Senator Hiram R. Revels, the first African American to be elected to the U.S. Congress, and Edward Hull “Boss” Crump, the legendary mayor of Memphis, Tennessee. Each achieved fame and fortune in their respective fields and started their life’s journeys in Holly Springs, Mississippi.
Holly Springs, Mississippi and Nazareth, where Jesus hailed from are a lot alike. They both prove over and over again that great people often come from humble beginnings and even small towns. Therefore, it is not where you are from, but where you are going that counts!
* This blog was written by Charles Williams, Rust College, 2013
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