The Bible and Fairness, Part II

I think that often we mistake our American perspective for a Christian perspective, and that can be a subtle difference but it's an important one. I was sent a link, which is the title link above, which explains very well what Jesus had in mind in the New Testament in terms of our relationship with Him. Take a moment to read it, then continue...

The concept of slavery is revolting to consider, as an American. The African slave trade was a tragedy in American history, and by no means do I advocate the superiority of one race over another. But this is one of those issues in which our American perspective can hinder us. In order to look at what the Bible says, we need a Biblical - or Christian - perspective. Jesus never stood against slavery because the true issue is one of the heart, not the social or economic policies that flow from it. Democracy is great; but a dedicated Christian monarchy would be preferable, from an eternal perspective, to an intensely secular representative government. Democracy is merely a way to ensure religious liberty within our society.

And the great irony of our Christian faith is that we willingly choose slavery, because it is the only way to true freedom. Jesus speaks of how a slave should treat his master, and how a master should treat his slave. The fact that the one is a master and that the one is a slave is irrelevant from an eternal perspective. And if the master treats him well, history has many examples of slaves willfully following their masters even unto death (The Spartans at Thermopylae, several written accounts from our own Civil War, to quickly give two). Is there any way that Jesus could possibly treat us better than He already has?

The great tragedies of the American Civil War were the deplorable treatment of many slaves by their masters, and the inherent racism that went hand in hand with American slavery. The war ended slavery as an institution, but it did almost nothing to fix these 2 problems. So I do not say that slavery is something to be lauded (in the context of society), but we need to think about things from God's perspective, not our own limited viewpoints. In the way that truly matters, I am a slave, and happily so. I know exactly where I stand, who stands with me, and what I must stand for.

In a world of uncertainity, that is truly priceless.