–– Gideon Mpeni
Audio version of this article available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
Africa is a beautiful continent. Yet, beneath the edges of this amazing tapestry are dark threads of various evils. From Cape to Cairo, we hear various cries of desperation and one of those African cries is heard from the closed doors in Oman from a woman as she suffers the trauma of severe burns inflicted by her so-called bosses. Her name is Blessing, she was among those women lured with offers of domestic work, only to be trapped in a cycle of exploitation, and thrown into the dungeon of despair.
In the African tapestry one dark thread has resurfaced and is visibly seen on the soil of the warm heart of Africa, Malawi, it is 21st-century slavery. Women like Blessing fall into the type of slavery known as self-sale, which was undertaken in the 1st to 19th Century, sometimes to obtain an elite position, sometimes to escape destitution. In this case, with the economic meltdown in Malawi, most citizens become so disoriented and discontent leading them to forget that it is God who “made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,” (Acts 17:26) and that the purpose of our existence is not to seek ‘greener pastures’ but that we “should seek God.” (Acts 17:27). Many others have been smuggled into South Africa, the United Kingdom, UAE, Ireland just to name a few. The revelations have been made from the recent documentary on YouTube by BBC and an article narrating the experiences of the survivors of modern-day Slavery as seen in the recent episode of Carte Blanche, ‘Trafficked: Bus ride from hell’.
Sadly, now it is reported by the BBC that “It is estimated there are around two million female domestic workers in the Gulf Arab states. In a survey of 400 women in Oman by migrant charity, Do Bold, published by the 2023 US State Department Trafficking in Persons Report, almost all were found to be victims of human trafficking, nearly a third said they were sexually abused, while half reported physical abuse and discrimination.” Many undocumented souls languish into eternity while African governments are enjoying the benefits of their greedy enterprise.
Knowing these facts, the Church in Africa should arm her members with a Biblical worldview not just aimed at social reforms, to speak out against this practice, but rather at personal redemption assuming that some of these government officials are sitting in our pews.
The Bible is not silent in giving us perspectives on slavery. Notable is the truth that slavery is not a part of God’s original design, for all men are made in the Image of God, meaning that we have equal dignity before God, (Genesis 1-2), Biblical instructions concerning slavery do not imply that the Bible condones or approves slavery. We have to remember Slavery is not God’s ultimate design. It is a product of sin. God mandates physical protection for slaves. Slaves abused by their masters were immediately to be set free and compensated for their injuries (Ex 21:16, 26-27). When Paul addresses slavery, he is not endorsing it; he is helping to shepherd people who are involved in a sinful economic and social system in which slavery is prevalent. Here are three Biblical principles that can help shape our perspective of slavery.
- The Bible condemns slavery which undermines God’s creation. The truth is that the victims of slavery have equal dignity before God (Job 31:15), they are created equal and have the same duties and common graces bestowed by their creator. Their masters will receive equal justice from God. If it so happens that Christians become slaves, even though they may endure temporary injustice, eternal justice awaits. (Eph 6:5; Col 3:22. 4:1).
- The Bible condemns Slavery that violates God’s Word. In Exodus 21:26-27 God makes it clear that physical abuse is intolerable. The Bible denounces human trafficking as we read “Whoever kidnaps a person must be put to death, whether he sells him or the person is found in his possession.” (Exodus 21:16). Here, the death penalty applies to the one selling the slave and the one buying the slave.
- God commanded that slaves would be freed in the seventh year and prohibited the masters from keeping them for more than six years without the slave’s consent. (Lev 25, Exodus 21, Deut 15)
As we ponder the cruel injustices of modern-day slavery, may our ears be tuned to hear of the agonies of the Chief of all slaves, on that hill of Calvary as He was unjustly executed for the sins of the World. The Bible redeems slavery and slaves of sin and Satan in particular. By that, I mean that God’s Word takes slavery, a product of sin, and turns it into a powerful image of God’s goodness. Consider the beauty of Christ and the gospel reality that our Master became our servant. As Paul says in Philippians 2:7, the same Jesus who was fully divine “emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking the likeness of men.” The word “slave” in Philippians 2 comes from the same word we see in 1 Timothy 6:1—doulos. Christ took the very form of a slave. Jesus took this posture in John 13 when He wrapped a garment around His waist and washed His disciples’ feet (4-5). And Mark 10:45 says something similar with regard to the purpose for Jesus’ coming: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many.” That’s the gospel. That’s good news!