"Frrrrreeeeeeeddddooommmmm!"

"The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to make a proclamation of liberty to them - that all should set free their Hebrew slaves, male and female, so that no one should hold another Judean in slavery."

(Jeremiah 34:8-9)

One of the darkest realities of our human sinfulness is the presence of slavery. Unfortunately, it's still a thing - even in 2017! We have, over the years, decided that some of us are "less than" the rest, and have subjugated those individuals (or groups). Every era has had some kind of slavery. And that's definitely doesn't make it right.

Today, slavery takes its shape in child labor, the sex industry, and other "under the radar" sides of life. But just become most of us can't (or don't) see it in our day-to-day endeavors, doesn't mean we shouldn't care.

As Christians, we know hat God cares! In the book of Jeremiah, the author tells of a time in Israel's history where the King of Judea (Zedekiah) issued a proclamation that no Judean should hold another Judean as a slave. All should be set free. And the people did - but only for a while. Then they went back to enslaving others. God chastised them greatly. Reminding the people of the time THEY were enslaved in Egypt... and also of God's "7-year Rule" where by all slaves should be freed every 7 years (note: a majority of the Hebrew slaves and become enslaved because of financial debt). But the people wouldn't listen.

Granted, most of us aren't involved in the slave industry today. But what about the other ways we "enslave" people? Ways we hold something over others. Through guilt, obligation, authority, fear, abuse, power, etc. None of us are innocent. We all could be more intentional about "freeing" those around us from any "obligation" toward us. Jesus came to set people free. We need to soak in the freedom that God give us to love unconditionally (just as we are loved by God)... and to allow ALL of God's children (that's everybody!) to be who God created them to be.