In The News

---

MODERN DAY SLAVERY


While we may think of slavery (involuntary servitude) as largely a thing of the past, this proves not to be the case. A recent online article observes, “Across the globe, an estimated 20.9 million people are currently living in modern slavery. Stripped of their dignity and humanity, forced to work effectively without pay; trapped behind bars and worse. The world’s most vulnerable sentenced to a life time of rape, abuse and extreme labor.”
“I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering,” the Lord assured Moses. “So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of the land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exod. 3:8). It was an ideal region from a pastoral perspective.
Consequently, the Pentateuch (initial five books of Scripture), if taken in context, comes across as an emancipation proclamation. In this regard, man was born free, and meant to express his freedom in a responsible fashion.
However, slavery was conditionally allowed in the Hebrew economy. A person could be freed by purchase; if Jewish, then necessarily on the occasion of the Year of Jubilee; and at the death of the master. Slaves were considered part of the owner’s family, and were meant to be treated in a humane manner.
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus,” Paul affirmed (Gal. 3:28). This is an ideal meant to be expressed in a compatible fashion in our social relationships. In greater detail, “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him” (Eph. 6:5, 9).
Some years ago the learned Arthur Rupprecht shared with me the social context of the time, as revealed in his in-depth study. It seems that slaves were being emancipated in great numbers, since the institution had become increasingly burdensome. Many were forced to fend for themselves, without the means for doing so. So that a more suitable transition was preferable.
Fast forward. C. Mason Weaver addresses his fellow Afro-Americans: “It is OK to believe in yourself. It is OK to have confidence in your ability. It is OK to love your woman enough to marry her and live with her. It is OK to challenge yourself to fail or succeed on your own. It is OK to leave the Plantation!” (back cover, It’s OK To Leave The Plantation). In this regard, he argues that our welfare system has served to extend slavery by fostering a dependency situation. Some may take issue with his conclusion, but it is worthy of due consideration. Incidently, he and I have corresponded in the past.
In any case, slavery takes on subtle forms. In the classroom, at home, and in the market place. By way of enforcing some partisan agenda, and demeaning those who take issue—with the intent of holding conscience captive.
In conclusion, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1). Worthy of note, Christ has set us free. Free to engage life by his grace. Free to mature spiritually. Free to make a constructive contribution to our society.
Accordingly, stand firm. Do not be misled by those who prey on our weakness. Do not expect others to do for us what we are unwilling to do for ourselves. Reject simplistic solutions to complex problems. Stand firm. Thus not to let ourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. As those stripped of their dignity and humanity. Thus swimming against the current of modern slavery.

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE