Set Free

Set Free

For seven glorious springs from 1999 to 2005 my son Andrew and his friend, Jonathan, and I went on an annual pilgrimage to the shrines of College Football. Our mission was quite simple, as we traveled throughout the South, the Midwest, the Upper East, and all the way to the Pacific: see the stadium, get inside, run the 100, and collect some grass clippings for memories sake.

One Wednesday evening found us in Plains, Georgia. Yes, that one. At 7pm we visited the services of the Plains Church of Christ. The three of us swelled their midweek service numbers to 9. About half of them were black and the other half white. After class the fellowship was rich. They entertained the two boys and me with rich stories. This small group obviously loved each other.

We asked the natural question you’d ask in Plains, GA: Do any of you know the Carter’s? Of course, they all did. One man gave us an unexpected answer: “I’ve known the family for my whole life, Mr. Jimmy’s grandad, owned my great granddad and we still work on the farm.” I suppose the reaction on my face revealed that I didn’t know how to respond. He went on: “The Carter’s are good people. They have always treated everybody well. I played with Jimmy when I was a little boy and love him.”

I didn’t live that man’s life, so I am still not sure how to unpack it all. I don’t purport to understand how First-century and Nineteenth-century slavery were alike and different.

Perhaps this is a little life lesson. You know, we are slaves. Paul in Romans 1:1 and 1 Corinthians 9 is a slave or a bond-servant. There is a sense, perhaps, that Paul was like this brother’s family. They went from being slaves to being free but those who were the slave-owners were so good to them that they decided to remain, while free, under their care. Isn’t that us. Slaves. We were slaves to sin but were set free, bought by the Blood of Jesus and no longer under bondage. Yet, the Lord is so good to us we chose to remain in His House, as His Servants, doing His Will.

You are a slave. But a joyful one. May the Lord bless you this week as you serve Him.