Samuel "Golden Rule" Jones

When faith becomes real

 Somewhere in time, in 1850 the Jones family leaves Wales and comes to America with their four year hold son.      Like many families, the Jones’s came to America searching for a better life.  Life was hard and when their son, Samuel was ten years old, they sent him to work on a neighbor’s farm.  Samuel did not really like farm work, so when he was fifteen he went to Pennsylvania to work in the oil fields.  He was a good worker and he had ingenuity.   While working in the oil fields, he invented something that made the oil rig operate better.  Many people wanted it and he was now an industrialist.  Making money was his focus, so he moved to Ohio and leased some land to run his own oil rigs and opened a factory to make his product.  He was wealthy and getting wealthier every day.   Samuel Jones was a Christian, raised in a Christian home and he never abandoned his faith, but his priority was on making money.

One day, everything changed.   Jones was very successful but in 1894 the United States was in a depression.  He was still financially fine, but seeing the desperately poor and hungry caused him to rethink his priorities.  This was when his faith became real to him.  He has always been a Christian, but now he felt he needed to put his faith into action.

Matthew 7:12 (NIV)  “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

Samuel Jones had a sign made and it hung in his office and it stated the essence of this verse.  “Therefore Whatsoever Ye Would That Men Should Do Unto You, Do Ye So Unto Them.”  He made this his life verse and began living it out.    By this time, Samuel lived in Toledo Ohio, this is where his factory, the Acme Sucker Rod Company, was located. 

The first thing he did was pay his employees $2.00 a day when the going rate was $1.00.  He thought it wrong that a man could work twelve hour days and his family still starves, so he set out to change that.    He also gave a 5% bonus as Christmas, even if the company did not make a profit.  During this time, the profits were small because economic times were hard.   Jones also had a company cafeteria and an on sight day care. 

He did not stop there, he was always active in politics and he went on to become the mayor or Toledo Ohio.  As mayor, he kept his sign in his office and tried to make Toledo a better place to live. He created public parks and bath houses.  He brought in speakers to educate and inform the public for free.   He also had a habit of giving money to anyone who asked.  The person receiving the money would always give Samuel an IOU.  When he died, they found thousands of these, but he never once tried to collect.  He gave freely. 

I found out about this man while reading a history book. In it was a short mention of this man as an example of progressive politics.  I really like this time period in political history, this time includes many people of faith getting involved to change things.  There was a foot note that mentioned the book “Holy Toledo”, written by Marnie Jones.  I purchased the book and that is where the information comes from. 

So why am I blogging about Samuel Jones?  I think each of us has a period in time when our faith becomes real, when our focus moves off ourselves and onto something greater.   We face a point in our lives where we move from conformation to transformation.  Doesn’t transformation sound like more fun than conformation?

Roman 12:2 (NIV)  “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

In my opinion, Samuel Jones experienced transformation and it impacted the lives of everyone who knew him.    I feel like God is constantly at work in our lives.  When I was fourteen, my faith became real, but I have seen seasons were God worked to transform me in different ways.  I almost feel like I am in transition for another transformation and I am excited to see what God has planned for me next.

What about you?  Is God calling you to live out your faith in a unique and different way.  Is he calling you to boldness?  Maybe if each of us prayed for God to transform us into the person He wants us to be, we might be able to change our corner of the world, the same way Samuel Jones changed Toledo Ohio.