It's time to quit living life in chains. So that others can be free.

Dear Friend,

OK. I'll Ask. Even though I know you. You're not in favor of slavery. Is that correct? OK. Just wanted to get that on the record. Why? Because the Bible says it. You know it does. "Slaves, obey your masters." More than once. Want to try to fudge the translation? Soften the wording? See if "bond servant"or "servant" is a lot less objectionable, while I try to erase the sick feeling that someone is selling, or more awfully, someone might be buying, these manacles for $250 on Etsy. The Greek word, δούλος simply means slave. There is no way to pretty that up. But why do I ask, oh humble Christ follower, about your position on slavery? Because when we find something troubling like this, that we're not sure how to handle, we tend to run one way or the other. We tend to be dismissive, and say, that was then, and we know better now. Or we tend to say, "The Bible says it, and it must be so."

Either way, we miss the mark. Either extreme misses the larger Truth behind the truth. Why was it written. Take this: "Slaves obey your masters." Really? Wasn't the concept of slavery that they didn't have a choice not to obey? Then why go out of the way to encourage or command or open up the opportunity for obedience? What's the "Truth behind the truth? What, in the words of another Paul, is the "rest of the story."

Isn't it time we stop weaponizing the Word with our words? Because if we run to either extreme, we're doing just that. Hey. You two at the extremes. I've been both of you. So let me ask you what I had to ask me. "The Bible says so!" is rarely heard as loving or life giving to a culture that is, sadly, sick of Christians and the church. Do you care? And the cure isn't to yell, "But hey, we're better now," like an abuser whose knuckles are still bloody, even if it makes us feel better. Do you care? But we can take one humble step forward with head down and hand out. We can apply this same simple act to so many words and sentences and verses. And wouldn't we, and those we claim to serve, be better served, if we actually did so?