I am a slave. And I am proud to be a slave. I will venture as far to say, that I am a slave willingly. Wait….whoa whoa whoa. Run that back. A willing slave? Can that even exist? As oxymoronic as the term ‘willing slave’ sounds, I am here to share with you why I believe with everything in me that it is a complete honor to be…a slave.
It’s 9.30.09 at approximately 7:15 p.m. The Youth Bible Study lesson is underway. It’s supposed to be about the (Romans) Road to Salvation, but we have some interactive activities to do before we dive into the Word. We start off by showing the kids a slideshow presentation. 15 slides. All 15 slides have different images of Blacks in the olden days. All 15 slides show a different form of scarring, pain, and toil. All 15 slides are of Black slaves.
If you are reading this and you are Black, can you imagine what they had to go through? If you are reading this and you are not Black, can you imagine what they had to go through? All the beatings, floggings, lynchings, burnings, dismemberings…all for us (Black people) to have one thing – freedom. It makes me grateful. It makes me appreciative. It makes me want to do all that I can to pay it back. In my heart, I know that I (we as a people) owe them so much for enduring so much pain, so that I may live my life to the fullest enjoyment free of the burdens of the past.
Fast forward. It’s 7:31 p.m. We watch the scene of Jesus’ crucifixion from The Passion of the Christ. We watch as Jesus is beaten, whipped, taunted, spat upon, kicked, and degraded. We watch as Jesus is pierced and nailed to the cross….never saying a mumbling word. All because he was sent, to bear our sins.
If you are reading this, and you are a Christian, can you imagine what Jesus had to go through? If you are reading this, and you are not a Christian, do you know what Jesus went through? All of the beating, flogging, whipping, pain, suffering….all for us (everyone who believes in him) to have one thing – eternal life. It makes me more than grateful, it makes my heart weep with sadness because Jesus shouldn’t have had to endure the cross and bear my sins, but it also gives me great joy. After all Jesus came, so that I could have life and have it more abundantly.
Fast forward. It’s 7:43 p.m. The kids start an open dialogue about how seeing the images of our ancestors made them feel. We discuss how picturing our grandmothers and grandfathers being beaten would make us feel. Beaten so that our parents could make a better life for us. It brings some of us to tears….I mean can you really picture in your mind: your own grandma being whipped over and over just for being Black…My heart aches to even fathom someone laying a hand on my grandma. With tears forming, droplets falling past the eyelids, kids are starting to realize how much deeper what Jesus did for us really is. We are all instantly overcome with emotions…spirits filled with His presence….totally in love with God. God did us the greatest favor by sending the ultimate sacrifice, the blameless, sinless Son of Man, to bear all of our vices, shortcomings, and sins….Jesus paid it all. So, why would we not live for him? Why would we not be proud of being a Christian? Why would we ever hesitate to share the good news with other people who may or may not be saved? How could we, knowing what Jesus did, ever be ashamed or unwilling to ‘take up the cross and follow him’?
As for me…I lovingly, graciously, blessedly, humbly accept the call to Christianity and discipleship….because you know what? It didn’t have to be me. It didn’t have to be me that was raised in the Church. It didn’t have to be me that came from a long line of God fearing men and women. But, most importantly, Jesus didn’t have to die for me (for us) – yet He did…So, for that reason, I am God’s willing and eager servant…ready and excited to go anywhere and say anything for His glory and to help in the effort of salvation of the lost….extremely honored to be a slave….God’s slave…and proud to be.
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