It's been nearly two months since we returned from Washington DC and yet I can't get one moment in particular out of my mind. I have been rolling it around in my head trying to figure out how to share it and bring it the justice it deserves.
The moment happened as we were exploring the National Museum of American History. We wandered into the exhibit, Slavery at Jefferson's Monticello: Paradox of Liberty. (There should be a clickable link. I'm having a hard time getting them to highlight.) Mike and I are closet history buffs so you can imagine we were a little excited about this trip. I had been especially looking forward to this museum (Mike's favorite was the Air & Space Museum). This exhibit was especially interesting on so many levels - the history here connects to today in a tangible way. As you explore the exhibit and see the artifacts and displays - one of the best assembled exhibits I think we saw - you get a very real understanding of what life was like on Monticello. And how the lives lived out there still have repercussions felt today. The displays followed certain families through their records - paper records such as wills, deeds and bills of sale as well as the oral histories of descendants of slaves that lived on Monticello.
One display showed what life might be like for the children on the plantation. It was life-like with girls playing a game and several recordings of the girls talking about what their day-to-day routines were. Corban and Sydney and Jared were curious about this, so we stood there for a minute, taking it all in and trying to wrap our heads around the horrors of slavery.
As we stood there, off to the side was this picture (another clickable link) of a slave with scars on his back. As we were turning to walk away Jared came over to me and asked what had happened. Just then, an African American woman who had also been looking at the display was turning to move on. She heard Jared and she looked me in the eye and passionately but kindly said, "You tell him." You tell him. I heard it to the marrow of my bone. How do I tell my 5 year old son what horrible things one man can do to another? How do I not? So, I scooped Jared up and, while fighting back tears, I try to compassionately tell him how so many people in our very own country thought it was alright to own other human beings. I tell him how wrong this is - although thankfully this is so far from our current culture that I can see he is having a hard time even understanding something like slavery.
Or is it?
We must never forget the past. We must learn and grown from it. But have we? Or have we been blinded to slavery in our own day? I was reminded that what we think of as the Civil War was called the War Between the States and that during the fighting, even though in their hearts everyone knew the bottom line was slavery, what was talked about was, "States' Rights". Not slavery. Don't even say it. Turn a blind eye. Move along.
We can peal away the kind labels now that we can look through the lenses of history and time. We aren't so connected to the people and issues of those days. We have our own issues.
And slavery is still one of them. Thankfully human trafficking is finally getting some of the attention it's due. People's eyes are being opened. But we need action. We need to pull back the blinders, open the curtains and shed light on this travesty that has changed faces over the years but the human aspect hasn't changed. Humans still buy and sell other human beings. Only by bringing salt and light to the dark places can things begin to heal. Love and mercy need to be shown. Walking by and looking the other way doesn't make something disappear. A movie, Not Today, (Link) will be coming out which will fling wide the doors that have been hiding this evil that is all over our planet. Our church is also holding a conference (Link) on slave and sex trafficking which affects those who can't fight back, and will give information on how we can help. How will you respond?
And while all of this has been running through my mind there is that still, small whisper. The one that says, "What are you a slave to?"
Me?
But I already know. I am a slave to whatever has mastered me (2 Peter 2:19). Tonight I'm wondering if it's my computer, or the TV I'm still hoping to have some time to watch. Often times I allow myself to be a slave to the people around me - I'm always worrying what they might think, if I'm dressed the right way or if I said the right thing. Here's the thing, though. Remember that picture that got this whole thing started? This little slave right here knows a Master who has those same stripes on His back. My king Jesus took those for me so I never would have to pay the price for my sin. He chose to. While I was still a sinner even! That's love. And that's freedom. And that's who I choose to follow to the ends of the earth. Because He is a master I can trust to be fair and just. No human is capable of that. We have proven that over and over again. In Galatians, Paul tells us, "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. ... So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir." (Galatians 3:26-29 & 4:7)
The moment happened as we were exploring the National Museum of American History. We wandered into the exhibit, Slavery at Jefferson's Monticello: Paradox of Liberty. (There should be a clickable link. I'm having a hard time getting them to highlight.) Mike and I are closet history buffs so you can imagine we were a little excited about this trip. I had been especially looking forward to this museum (Mike's favorite was the Air & Space Museum). This exhibit was especially interesting on so many levels - the history here connects to today in a tangible way. As you explore the exhibit and see the artifacts and displays - one of the best assembled exhibits I think we saw - you get a very real understanding of what life was like on Monticello. And how the lives lived out there still have repercussions felt today. The displays followed certain families through their records - paper records such as wills, deeds and bills of sale as well as the oral histories of descendants of slaves that lived on Monticello.
One display showed what life might be like for the children on the plantation. It was life-like with girls playing a game and several recordings of the girls talking about what their day-to-day routines were. Corban and Sydney and Jared were curious about this, so we stood there for a minute, taking it all in and trying to wrap our heads around the horrors of slavery.
As we stood there, off to the side was this picture (another clickable link) of a slave with scars on his back. As we were turning to walk away Jared came over to me and asked what had happened. Just then, an African American woman who had also been looking at the display was turning to move on. She heard Jared and she looked me in the eye and passionately but kindly said, "You tell him." You tell him. I heard it to the marrow of my bone. How do I tell my 5 year old son what horrible things one man can do to another? How do I not? So, I scooped Jared up and, while fighting back tears, I try to compassionately tell him how so many people in our very own country thought it was alright to own other human beings. I tell him how wrong this is - although thankfully this is so far from our current culture that I can see he is having a hard time even understanding something like slavery.
Or is it?
We must never forget the past. We must learn and grown from it. But have we? Or have we been blinded to slavery in our own day? I was reminded that what we think of as the Civil War was called the War Between the States and that during the fighting, even though in their hearts everyone knew the bottom line was slavery, what was talked about was, "States' Rights". Not slavery. Don't even say it. Turn a blind eye. Move along.
We can peal away the kind labels now that we can look through the lenses of history and time. We aren't so connected to the people and issues of those days. We have our own issues.
And slavery is still one of them. Thankfully human trafficking is finally getting some of the attention it's due. People's eyes are being opened. But we need action. We need to pull back the blinders, open the curtains and shed light on this travesty that has changed faces over the years but the human aspect hasn't changed. Humans still buy and sell other human beings. Only by bringing salt and light to the dark places can things begin to heal. Love and mercy need to be shown. Walking by and looking the other way doesn't make something disappear. A movie, Not Today, (Link) will be coming out which will fling wide the doors that have been hiding this evil that is all over our planet. Our church is also holding a conference (Link) on slave and sex trafficking which affects those who can't fight back, and will give information on how we can help. How will you respond?
And while all of this has been running through my mind there is that still, small whisper. The one that says, "What are you a slave to?"
Me?
But I already know. I am a slave to whatever has mastered me (2 Peter 2:19). Tonight I'm wondering if it's my computer, or the TV I'm still hoping to have some time to watch. Often times I allow myself to be a slave to the people around me - I'm always worrying what they might think, if I'm dressed the right way or if I said the right thing. Here's the thing, though. Remember that picture that got this whole thing started? This little slave right here knows a Master who has those same stripes on His back. My king Jesus took those for me so I never would have to pay the price for my sin. He chose to. While I was still a sinner even! That's love. And that's freedom. And that's who I choose to follow to the ends of the earth. Because He is a master I can trust to be fair and just. No human is capable of that. We have proven that over and over again. In Galatians, Paul tells us, "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. ... So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir." (Galatians 3:26-29 & 4:7)
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