The Bonds of Slavery Not yet Loosed

I have been re-reading Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriett Beecher Stowe and as I sit here, a white woman in a pleasant time in a safe country, I am reminded of the devastation poured upon black people at that time, devastation that our free government both ignored and defended. God was so good to cause Ms. Stowe to write this work! I believe it played a great role in realigning a race with the status given to them from creation by God.

There were several characters highlighted in Ms. Stowe's book who showed indifference, or at least, inaction toward the slave trade. The most noteworthy of these was Augustine St. Clare. His inner being was in great turmoil over slavery and he was constantly battling within himself about it. But, he did nothing. In fact, he was a slave owner himself, and while his slaves were treated very well as pampered "servants" (a way to ease his conscience and make himself believe they were better off than free), still they were not their own men and women. Their everything was his and their fate rested solely in his hands. How could that be better than being seen as what they truly were- equal men and women? What could be more damaging to a race than be seen as second-rate and unable to stand as the people they are? St. Clare saw the cases of abuse and tyranny, he saw the forced fractures of families as they were torn from each other for the sake of profit; yet he closed an eye and pushed the topic away. It was too complicated, too controversial to speak up.

As I look at his character, I find myself thinking, "Would I be like that?"
Would I compromise what I know to be right and good just because it is commonly acceptable at the time? Would I be too afraid to ruffle feathers in my inner circles? More than that, would I begin to justify and believe it was not all that bad, not all that detrimental to those suffering? Woe is me! Do I dare to look around me, to see the sin that is so rampant and accepted? Will I stand for those who are created in God's image, but are debased and downtrodden in our societies? Jesus told Peter in Matthew 26:41, "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." I know my spirit is certainly willing to help those in need, but my flesh is focused on pleasing men and avoiding difficulty. How I must pray to increase His Spirit's influence, and lessen mine! That I would care more about His will than about my own comfort! Please join me in raising awareness to the needs of those around us. One way to show them the love of Jesus is to care about them, as He does. International Justice Mission works to free those caught in modern day slavery throughout the world. They believe in the God-given value of people, as Harriet Beecher Stowe did in 1852.