The Things That Enslave

GUIDING SCRIPTURE

Psalm 133 (NRSV)

How very good and pleasant it is
     when kindred live together in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
     running down upon the beard,
     on the beard of Aaron,
     running down over the collar of his robes.
It is like the dew of Hermon,
     which falls on the mountains of Zion.
For there the Lord ordained his blessing,
     life for evermore.

DAILY BYTE

As you picture your relationships this week with other people in the human “family,” and as we think on the story of Joseph’s slavery and freedom, take this opportunity to look at the various ways we are enslaved and the ways we enslave others.

At the World Methodist Conference recently held in Durban, it was, at times, clear, that even in the church, we are enslaved by a system that praises self-serving power. It was interesting to notice which people at different points in time were considered, perhaps, more important than others, whether because of a title or their age or gender, etc... Do you notice this in your everyday life? Do you notice any ways that we enslave people, holding them up in pedestal-ed positions of power? Do you notice ways we enslave people who are in positions where they have no power? We see this in Joseph’s story, when his brothers sold him into slavery so that they could claim a little of the power that he had in his family for their own. We do enslave each other with power.

It’s also been obvious over the past few weeks that we are enslaved by our prejudices against certain races, cultures, and sexual orientations – even when we look like we’re united, sitting side by side together, we know that we’re more likely to say hello to people of certain races, genders, and ages than others, depending on what prejudices we hold. Do you find this in your own life? Joseph and his brothers both knew this – they knew the difference between an Egyptian and an Israelite. Between a slave and a king. A woman and a man. They knew who had power – who was worth talking to – and who wasn’t. We do enslave each other with prejudice.

And it’s also been obvious that we are enslaved by jealousy, always wishing that we had something or someone that others do and that we do not. Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery for just that reason – jealous of the love and attention that he got from his father. Do you find this in any corner of your own life? We do enslave each other with jealousy.

And, we are enslaved by fear, worried about the future, trying to defend all that we have, afraid that there will not be enough – and we must hear that fear loudly, but at this point, we must also pause from looking at some of the things that enslave us to thank God for the fact that this particular fear – this fear of not having enough – actually caused the family reunion in Joseph’s story to happen.

There was a famine in the land of Israel – and Jacob’s family was very afraid that they wouldn’t have enough to survive. We’ve heard in the news about the current famine in Somalia and Ethiopia. And we hear constantly the world’s fear that in the not too distant future, we will not have enough water, enough clean air, enough fossil fuels - and it goes on and on – to survive. And so we fight over the little that we do have, enslaving and overpowering others so that we will have enough. There is a famine that continues in our land today.

But in the story when famine hits the land, we don’t read that the sons of Jacob took up arms and attacked Pharaoh’s palace, stealing corn and grain.

We read that they come, asking their neighbours for help. And when they make themselves vulnerable, declaring that they need help, they encounter Joseph – they encounter their brother.

As you ponder the areas of your own life and the lives of others that are enslaved, how can you reach out beyond your power, prejudices, jealousy, and fear to be vulnerable with your brothers and sisters in this world? If we are “kindred,” like the psalm says, how can we help reach out to each other when a need exists so that we become less like slaves and masters and more like unified brothers and sisters?