How will you mark 200 years of the Abolition of Slavery?

Historically people have unquestionably chosen freedom over bondage.

We’ll hit the big questions first, how do you respond to knowing about slavery? Indignation, embarrassment, confusion, compassion, helplessness or perhaps apathy? Maybe you just think of it as a bad thing that people used to do a long time ago.

But today, global slavery is still a massive problem, even though it was outlawed and banned by the British Parliament in the March of 1807 it seems that the drive, determination and legacy of people like the man who helped bring about that legislation, William Wilberforce, is needed once again.

Londoners are set to mark the bicentennial of the abolition and recently a group in Bolton, Lancashire held a conference involving repentance for their part in the slave trade.

Today, some overseas cannot even decide how best to tackle the issue. For example, Baroness Cox continues to raise money (and has done at Roots in the past) to buy back those family members that have been forcibly taken into slavery. Critics have said that she is simply helping to fuel the trade by offering redemption money. Sometimes as little as £50 for someone’s freedom. While others rejoice at the reuniting of families and the rebuilding of shattered lives.
One recent study, ‘found that over a three-month period, 1,738 unaccompanied minors from non-EU countries sought to enter the UK through Heathrow alone. Thirty-nine of these children had to be referred to the local authority, compared with 25 the previous year.’

The issue of slaves would not have been strange to Jesus and the contributors of scripture. In fact, the imagery of the slave was heavily drawn upon when conveying our relationship with God.

This can seem to be at odds with what has been described above, we have said that people prefer freedom not bondage and have hinted that slavery of any kind is abhorrent.

When a slave was redeemed or set free by the owner, occasionally something strange happened. Sometimes the freed slave would offer to stay as a servant/slave even though technically they were free. To show that this was the case they would display a small body modification - that is a piercing to you and me - usually the ear to demonstrate their willingness to stay and serve (Exodus 21:6; Deuteronomy 15:17; Psalms 40:6).

So the issue of why and who is a slave is given a broader appeal. Leaving aside the topic of physical bondage, scripture has other personal things to say to those who enjoy autonomy.

‘……for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.’
2Peter 2:19

The slavery imagery is used extensively throughout scripture – primarily because the ramifications of being a slave were well known.

While the issue of the slave trade may invoke definite responses within us, there can be a deeper and subtler question.

What is true freedom?

How can Paul say he is free and at the same moment declare himself a slave?

The relationship that can exist between man and his creator has to be in many respects one of a slave to a master. There can be no illusion of equality as the gulf between finite and infinite is irrevocably set. One of the implications of this relationship requires us to understand that it is not just our moral and metaphysical conditions that are subject to God, but the construction and very life of our existence. Alternatively, to phrase it more simply, we are slaves in every area, circumstance, action and thought to him who gave us life.

It is to appreciate this that we understand that, so-called freedom apart from God is rebellion and therefore no freedom at all.

Whatever has our heart and guides our actions has, ‘mastered us’.
Pause and read this for the second time.

Whatever has our heart and guides our actions has, ‘mastered us’ (2Peter 2:19).

All the usual suspects come to mind and we already know the variety of things communicated throughout scripture (Galatians 5:19; Colossians 3:5).

Allow someone you trust to ask you the awkward and searching questions concerning your deepest motivations and ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate areas of your life that require change.

True freedom then is a person (John 8:36; 14:6) and our response to Him has to be full unequivocal surrender.

The astonishing news, having established our ownership, is that through Jesus’ life, death and resurrection God no longer considers us in such terms! Scripture clearly tells us that we are elevated to the remarkable status of a friend and family member (John 15:15; Galatians 4:7)

Here then is the profound dichotomy: to be free requires the voluntary piecing of our own ears, identifying us as slaves. Only as slaves may we become children, and only then to advance the kingdom of the king to free those in every kind of slavery.

When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:20-23

There can be no recoiling from this central aspect of our connection with God. To acknowledge first our place before God and then our daughter / son-ship is the way to freedom.