ADVENT and slavery

Many themes emerge during the Church season of Advent: preparation, light, salvation, waiting, and certainly the four Advent candle symbols of hope, faith, joy, and love. For the first time in all the years I've faithfully sung the hymns of Advent, I am captivated (pun intended) by the relationship of Advent to slavery.

Let me explain.

The word "advent" means the arrival of a special person, thing, or event; and in Christian theology we celebrate the Advent of Christ; we also know that He came to save us from our sins. Just this year, as I was leafing through the hymnals to plan worship selections, the language of enslavement jumped off the page to me. A few examples:

Come, thou long-expected Jesus, born to set thy people free...
Born thy people to deliver...

He comes the prisoners to release, in Satan's bondage held...

O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel...

To thee the travail deep was known
That made the whole creation groan
Till thou, Redeemer, shouldest free
Thine own in glorious liberty.

Thy thirst for my salvation procured my liberty...

Himself a servant's form puts on to set his servants free...

Come down, come down with mighty stride;
Unlock the gates, the door break down;
Unbar the way to heaven's crown.
...
Come, lead us with your mighty hand 
From exile to our promised land.

Arise, your Light is come!
Fling wide the prison door;
Proclaim the captive's liberty,
Good tidings to the poor.

And there are certainly myriad examples in general ancient and modern hymnody as well; "Out of My Bondage, Sorrow, and Night" comes to mind. 

The subject of slavery is miserable to think about; to the point that an area church changed their text for "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" to omit any and all references to Israel as captives. (!) So why the persistent language and imagery throughout Scripture and hymnody?

Several times in the New Testament, Paul references Israel's captivity and freedom as an example for us (e.g., 1 Cor. 10:6, Romans 15:4). Let's have a brief refresher:

-God called Moses to lead His people, Israel, out of Egypt (despite their "abominations" and Idolatry" (Ex. 20:8-9).

-Moses pressed Pharaoh, but he maintained his steadfast hold on his slaves. After God sent 10 plagues, Pharaoh finally conceded to let them go at the pleading of his people.

-Nevertheless, the Egyptians pursued the fleeing Israelites, and God again saved them and brought them to freedom across the Red Sea.

-God guided every step of their journey by a cloud during the day and fire by night.

-No sooner than were they on the journey to the Promised Land, the Israelites began to complain. God responded by providing manna from heaven and water from a rock. 

-Moses went to commune with the LORD on Mt. Sinai and to receive the 10 Commandments; the Israelites responded by losing patience for Moses's return, and said, "'Come, let us make gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him'" (Ex. 32:1b). So they formed a golden calf to worship.

I don't know about you, but this has always been one of the most perplexingly bizarre stories in the Bible. First of all, after all Yahweh had done, how could they doubt Him? Second, what did they think a golden calf was going to do for them? It's utterly baffling.


Let's switch back to our own Advent journeys, and all of our hymns that reference our enslavement. I think anyone reading this is viscerally sickened by the concept of actual slavery. It is an evil, ugly, disgusting thing. How can people treat God's children, made in His image, in such a defiled way?

Indeed. But I daresay (and hope to God) that no one reading this has been actually enslaved, though there are still plenty of types of modern slavery.

What does this particular Advent theme actually have to do with us? Let's look back at the Israelites.

God sought them in their abomination, loved them, provided help, set them free from Egypt, time and again, and continued to provide food and sustenance. 


But it just didn't happen fast enough, or how they wanted it. "Oh, that we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt... the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the garlic, the onions..." (Num. 11:5)...and they longed to be back in Egypt. 


Excuse me? Back as a slave, being beaten and misused? This seems crazy. What exactly do the Scriptures want us to learn from this?

The answer is at least in part, this: We choose slavery for ourselves, over and over again. And our enslavement is our idol.

It's easy to understand that someone could be enslaved by drug, alcohol, or any addiction. But we all have something that feeds our idolatry: our need to take control, to feel better immediately, to feel superior, to tear down someone who doesn't reinforce petty "values" like our possessions or vision for our children's educations. By falling on these idols, we remove God from the equation as not in control, not able to care for us, and not enough. And then they enslave us. Our drive to feel good enough through our own means never works, and always enslaves us. And it can be anything: nursing anger, ungodly thoughts or attitudes like complaining or ingratitude; little (or big) dishonesties, poor stewardship of what we've been given, arrogance, or countless other ways we sabotage ourselves, and thus, God's best for us.

It's easy to see in others and very, very difficult to see in ourselves. My heart hurts when I see a loved one fall back into an old vice--(parents will certainly be able to relate to this feeling)--while I, clearly in the right, pridefully hold onto my side of an argument.

I believe it was the first Sunday of Advent when David encouraged us to simply let God be God. We do not need to strive, we need to trust, and rest in the Lord. 

I hate to admit that I can too easily relate to the Israelites now.

Just like them, we are bound to fail again and again, and God will prove faithful again and again. But like them, the end of the story is that we will indeed enter the Promised Land "where all is peace." 

This Advent, as we wait, hoping, seeking the One True Light, my prayer for each of us is that we are granted more grace each day to have patience in waiting for God, and to return to Him--again and again.


​
From the BCP:

Advent 2
Blessed Lord, who caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of your holy Word we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior, Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Advent 4
Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and as we are sorely hindered by our sins from running the race that is set before us, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.