Learning from Jesus – an end to slavery?
Home comes the master very late after the banquet; slaves wait up for him, ready to jump to the door the moment he knocks. 'Take your hat and toga, sir?' 'Do you want a cup of tea, sir?' 'Will that be all, sir?'
'No, hang on a minute. I know that you've been waiting up half the night. You must be tired and hungry. I'm going to roll up my sleeves and see what's left for us in the kitchen. Now sit down and I will bring you something warm and tasty before we all go to bed. And no one needs to be up tomorrow until nine o'clock.'
When the first century Christian slaves of Ephesus and Colossi, Rome and Corinth, heard this story they must have laughed. Safe in the fellowships of faith where there was 'no slave or free, no Jew or Greek', but all were one in Jesus, the lucky ones who had Christian masters would probably have been treated justly and fairly, and where possible freed. But being served at table? The others from harsher regimes could only dream - and pray - and look forward with longing to the day when they would sit down at the final banquet, at home with their Lord.
However, as far as we know, the Christian church never fully repudiated slavery then and soon began to accept it as simply part of commercial life. It's good to celebrate the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade 200 years ago. But many Christians argued against abolition, sure that it was fully justified, not just economically, but also biblically. Why did it take so long for the church to act?
This raises a question about the iniquities and slaveries to which the church is blind today. Some estimate that there are 25 million slaves in the world - girls trafficked as sex slaves into the UK; children in Asia sold as slave labour to pay debts, illegal workers like the Chinese cockle pickers. So we should support Christian organisations that work to help these and others in bondage (International Justice Mission, CHASTE and Tearfund, among others). We, like Clarkson and the 1807 abolitionists, should be willing to campaign, petition and demonstrate. - and challenge ourselves and our fellow Christians actively to work for justice wherever it is denied.
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