Bearing the scars

FREEING slaves is an unpopular business. Arguably, taking a stand against slavery cost Abraham Lincoln his life. When Spartacus and his gang of escaped gladiators threatened to free large numbers of slaves, the entire might of ancient Rome’s brutal killing machine was unleashed against them. Thousands were crucified along the road leading towards Rome from the south.

It is a matter of astonishment and outrage to us now that after the ending of slavery in the British colonies early in the nineteenth century, government compensation was paid, not to those who had been deprived of their liberty, but to those whose “property interests” had been damaged by freeing the slaves.

Paul also discovered that challenging the vested interests associated with slavery could be costly. When he visited Philippi he met a young woman who was doubly enslaved. She was in bondage to the spiritual or mental disturbance which dominated her life, and she was enslaved by the men who exploited her condition to extract money from gullible people who believed she could foretell the future.

(Acts 16.16-24)

For many days the unnamed woman followed the visiting Christians. Constantly, she shouted to passers-by that these men were telling people how they could be saved. Paul was disturbed by her behaviour. Perhaps he was upset at the constant interruptions. Perhaps he spotted the irony that this doubly-enslaved woman was the one declaring that Paul could tell people how to be free. Whatever the cause of his unease, Paul eventually turned around and commanded the spirit controlling her to leave.

In the name of Jesus, he had freed her from the first of her enslavements, but the second remained. The men who exploited her were not pleased at her healing but upset at the loss of income earning potential. They dragged Paul and Silas to the public square and accused them before the authorities. They were accused of causing trouble and teaching unacceptable alien customs, but the real charge was threatening vested interests which made money from human misery.

Frightened by the crowd, the magistrates had Paul and Silas whipped, beaten and imprisoned, although it was illegal to treat Roman citizens in that way. The city authorities put the interests of the slave-owners ahead of the interests of justice. In time, Paul and Silas were miraculously freed and received an official apology, but nevertheless they paid a heavy personal price for challenging the interests of those profiting from enslavement.

In our generation, those who courageously tackle the work of people smugglers can find that a risky business. Those who campaign to free people from poverty or injustice undoubtedly do God’s work, but should not expect to become universally popular in the process. Even those who seek to free the Christian church from enslavement to out of date structures and ways of working can sometimes find themselves bearing the scars of challenging vested interests.

There is always someone willing to profit from the enslavement of others. Those who supply drugs to addicts, exorbitant loans to the indebted, or people for labour exploitation and sexual slavery all fall into that category. Challenging their actions may be difficult and costly.

Yet that is the prophetic voice that the Christian church and individual people of faith are called to raise. As Jesus says, (John 8.36) “If the son sets you free, then you will be really free.”

The Rev Richard Baxter is minister at Fort William: Duncansburgh MacIntosh linked with Kilmonivaig