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Dealing with Slavery
 There are so many things that come with just having that bit of faith inspired by a tiny mustard seed, and a lot of hands together in prayer, and the reward is nothing manufactured, but something that is ordinary. Luke explained that whether you work in cotton fields or soy fields, or orange groves or in auto factories, and you work hard and long and faithfully for the required eight hours to receive your pay, then leaving the field, you still must go take care of the boss’s dinner first, then take your place at the worker’s table, sharing left-overs, or turnip greens and black-eyed peas, buttermilk and quick biscuits because that’s what was the norm for “the help.” The meal was part of the inclusion— not a reward. It sounds a lot like slavery to me. Of course that existed then and really since early mankind, like the Pharaoh’s servants who were buried alive with them in the giant Pyramids. Many greats were at some point enslaved. Jesus of course. And Julius Caesar and Gaius Caecilius Isidorus. But it was Prince Henry the Great who brought back the first slaves from the African Coast to Great Britain.
Frankish kings from the time of the Merovingian dynasties, fostered Germanic tribes whose slaves ranked no higher than cattle, movable property to be disposed of at will. Even Anglo Saxons would be turned into slaves if they didn’t pay debts or were caught stealing. Slaves of Franks had no legal rights and were considered to have no family, although the Church fought that families would not be separated. But they were. Men who brought the black slaves from Africa to the New World were cutthroats and Christians, speculators and adventurers, gentlemen and pirates, seamen and surgeons. Sir John Hawkins, rear admiral of Queen Elizabeth’s fleet, was best known. He was sure God would not allow his “elect” to suffer, since he was a pious Protestant.
Africans had practiced slavery since prehistoric times, forcing captives and criminals into domestic service. A slave was a kind of kinsman with different rights, positions and household from others. Before the Europeans came, the wealthy plantation owners were inhumanly driven. The Nupe people conquered and enslaved the primitive tribes of northern Nigeria. And so it goes. Someone always needs someone to do the dirty work, to harvest crops and build what needed to be built. And the wealthy owners obviously were not going to do that themselves. Hence servants and slaves.
This subservient step ladder still circles around in other forms today as we remember the gross and heartless treatment of African slaves in both Americas, North and South - not something to be proud of, not something that, to me, expresses a “Jesus want.” But there have aways been slaves throughout history. As the gospel says, we all are worthless slaves among the millions of slaves who try to serve God as the disciples and apostles did. There is nothing wrong with being a slave or servant and doing what is expected to be done and to be paid fairly for our efforts. We must feed the hungry, mop the floor, empty the garbage, wash the sheets and towels, prepare the meals when there is no home delivery, do the regular routine which I have learned in my 80s to do here in Carmelo the past four years. I don’t expect praise or attention. It is part of my life, the one I have chosen or am obliged to live because of life’s circumstances.
But if we can do that, learn about ourselves and our abilities, and not complain, (to joke about it is ok) and not be bitter, then we are filled with the abundance of Jesus Christ, of what He calls us to be: servants of all - no matter what our social rank or skill or abilities are in life. With that must come respect and fairness and friendship and the possibilities of a better life, particularly when helping others to have a better life, to know that they are respected and loved with whatever talent they have or use, and in spite of whatever tragedy, bad luck, insult or lack of respect might be shown because of poverty, racism, distortions of bodies and mind, or jealousy or envy. It needs to be by choice, not because there is no other way out. Everyone deserves goodness, love and fairness, recognition and reward, and a chance to be who they want to be and have what they want to have. Some have to work hard for it. Others don’t.
There are servants, and there is servanthood, slaves and slavery, employment and disrespect, insecurity and abuse in all our lives. But nothing is as atrocious as how Christopher Columbus and the first vagabonds to land in the land we call America - who were welcomed by gentle, generous and kind, particularly filled with gentle spirits - the Native American Indians. History records that there was not a violent bone in their body and they were curious, of course, and wanting to welcome nicely these strange upright people who arrived on monster ships. And if you really want to put it on the table, that’s when the Indians made a feast from all the local fruits and vegetables that were normal in their lives - to welcome these people in a generous way. We can call it a thanksgiving, even though a few days later down the road, they had no interest in kindness, but wanted to wage war for the land of these gentle, extremely naturally spiritual people, who would have probably been delighted to share their lands, but not good enough to defend their lands against the weapons and violence that came with these foreigner.
It was the same white folk who brought along black slaves from the shores of Africa, packing them like cotton bales in a storage bin, one on top of the other, one body right on top of the other, six foot by 16 inches of space was all they were allowed on a ship, so many of them dying in the conditions of those ships that sailed with them, as if they were toy dolls or something, not human. As I read more and more about this history - of course slavery has been around since the beginning of time - even Africans, the kings and wealthy ones prior to the European invasion, depended on slaves. How they treated them, I don’t know. But when those religious rights attempting to bring Jesus into the “natives” lives, even though the Africans had no concept of what these traders and white folk were talking about, they already had their own concept of gods (I remember Mungu in Tanganyika), But this early one the missionaries served was a white savior who loved them without even seeing them, because He lived hundreds of years ago in Jerusalem. Israel was, strangely, much closer to Africa than was the United States or Europe who sent emissaries to save their souls.
Even in the days when the church was thriving, they used slaves, converted them to believe in Almighty God and ironically today, Ethiopia has the highest number of Orthodox Christians and 90 per cent of Brazilians are Christians. Sadly, the Christian faith has weakened and fallen in Great Britain, where there are so many foreigners became residents because of their domination in countries all over the world. Once it was full of faith through the Anglican Churches, but it has tiptoed away from the glory and faith that had always been part of the royalty of the United Kingdom, which scattered and dominated around the world.
I want you to know that you weren’t out there alone. It seems in no society has there been equality of people. I’m praying that that will happen at least now in our deep South as the African Americans with their creativity and experience and knowledge of what is good and bad, as they begin to take a stand about what is fair and free and correct and above all what God wants us to do and be - lovers and helpers and always willing to give someone a chance. We can do that in my hometown of Memphis. We have smart, sharp, wise, well-educated, experienced African-American men and women who have been there, been through the marshes, who have fought for dignity and goodness and fairness, and who are our police and sheriffs and our firefighters and our nurses and doctors and preachers, our basketball and football stars, all people who are the most needed people in our lives. Now they are starting their own businesses and profession, their own domination of music and skills and I just leap with joy when I hear someone, an old friend, has taken over this or that and will give a new twist to success.
W.E. B. DuBois said, “We cannot forget America was built on Africa. African labor was at the center of the sugar empire, and the cotton kingdom and an integral part of the world industry which caused the industrial revolution and the reign of capitalism.” If it wasn’t for our African Americans we would not be where we are today. And now they are standing up to help make our nation a more creative, positive and fun one. Their faith and their humor and their talents no one can match. Thank you Jesus for the new leaders of our nation.
I recommend reading Slavery: A World History by Milton Meltzer.
~ Rev
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audrey@audreytaylorgonzalez.com
www.audreytaylorgonzalez.com
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