But with such a narrow view of slavery, we miss the larger context
of slavery. It is a symptom of the
corruption of the natural human soul. People
were enslaved from the dawn of history, and people are enslaved today, people of
all skin colors.
We are all born into a historical context, with certain behaviors
expected and viewed as normal. In ancient
cultures, it was often expected that conquered peoples would become slaves of
the victors. This certainly provided
incentive for generals and soldiers to win battles. The way of the world was dictated by the
sinful heart of man. Those were the
accepted rules, and so slavery naturally resulted from war. Those are no longer the accepted rules, but
slavery lives on.
The stories of slavery today still reveal a sickening
brutality, buried deep in the hearts of people.
How could anyone treat other persons so cruelly? What could motivate such actions?
With slavery as part of the human condition, there must be something
fundamentally perverted in human thinking.
Consider the (possible) thoughts of one who deals in slaves
today.
·
If I am stronger than you, smarter than you,
have some strategic advantage over you, then I can use you to my own advantage,
without regard for any consequences you may face.
·
Life is about me, and my getting things that I want. You are a means for me to get what I want,
and I can do with you anything that I can get away with.
·
I benefit by controlling you, feeling free
myself, and making money.
·
You are not really a person, and not worthy of
my respect, because: you are too
trusting, you look different from me, you happened to be in the wrong place,
·
Every person is out for himself. The only person who matters is me. If you don’t know that, you lose.
Apparently those patterns of thinking are cultivated among
those in the slave trade. Slavery happens
when people take the natural selfish thoughts of corrupt humanity and live them
out ruthlessly.
Christ rescues us from our selfish frame of reference. Jesus is the ultimate in selflessness. He took the punishment he did not deserve, so
that those who deserve the punishment might be free. He saw the value of people, because they are
made in the image of God. The only hope
for humanity is the transforming relationship with God through Jesus.
Yes, we need to fight against injustice and work against
slavery. We need to use the court
systems and political processes to end the slave trade. But our most effective weapon against slavery
is the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
He transforms us, not by new rules and systems, but by changing our
hearts so that we want to love our neighbors.
