‘The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble’             (Psalm 9:9).

The death of George Floyd is a tragedy!  For him to die at the hands of those who are supposed to ‘protect and serve’ is tragic, not just for his family but for society as a whole!  Not surprisingly there have been protests and calls for justice as this is hardly a one-off incident but one in a series of black men and those of different races dying at the hands of the Police in America.

As the responses have been many and varied, the issue of social justice, in cases of inconsistent treatment due to the colour of one’s skin, has got me thinking, not just about what the Bible teaches about race, but especially about  the rights of all people!

Firstly, men and women are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).  This gives people immense dignity.  Secondly, the Apostle Paul, when he preaching to the philosophically minded Athenians, highlights the implications:

And He (God) 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).

So not only are we created in God’s image, but we are all of common descent.  This means an equality which does not allow for any form of racism.  The Jewish mindset was to see themselves as God’s chosen people.  Yet the Apostle Peter realized, because of a vision from God, that all are equal as: “What God has made clean, do not call common” (Acts 10:15).

The Early Church had to fulfil Jesus’ command to take the Gospel: “and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19) and the  Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 3:1–6, and many other passages, that the fulfilment of the Lord’s plan for the nations is that there are no racial, social or spiritual distinctions in the Church:

‘When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.  This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel’ (Ephesians. 3:4–6).

Paul puts the final nail in the coffin of Jewish religious elitism by arguing for an unheard-of equality to be followed by the Church:

‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus’ (Galatians 3:28).

Historically slavery has affected all races.  The Bible contains many references to slavery – which was a common practice in antiquity. It is important to be aware that slavery in Old Testament times differed vastly from that of the African Slave trade.  Despite some arguing that the Bible does not condemn slavery, we see in Deuteronomy Chapter 15, ethical guidelines for the care and treatment of slaves and for their emancipation after seven years – with generous provision for their new life.  The practice of kidnapping or ‘man stealing’ was forbidden by scripture (Deuteronomy 24:7) and serves as a damning indictment of the horrendous cruelty of the African Slave Trade!

In the New Testament the Apostle Paul is often singled out for his acceptance of slavery.  Yet in the Roman world slavery was vastly different.  Slaves had much more freedom and even certain rights.  Paul’s instruction to those who owned slaves goes further as he urges them to treat their slaves well (Ephesians 6:9).  In Paul’s wonderful letter to Philemon he urges him to treat Onesimus, a slave who had done Philemon considerable wrong, but had now been converted: ‘no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a beloved brother – especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord’ (Philemon v 16).

The Bible’s teaching was regulating imperfect situations by setting forth a nobility and dignity for all people unheard of in the ‘Ancient Near East’ and it was the Bible’s teaching in this area that inspired Christians like William Wilberforce and others to campaign against and eventually achieve the abolition of slavery.

This nobility and dignity are wonderfully expressed in Psalm 8 where David is overwhelmed by the place God has given man in the world!

‘When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honour.You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet’ (Psalm 8:3-5).

Since people represent the pinnacle of God’s creation and have been given a unique position in its government and care we are told to: ‘Be fruitful and multiply’ (Genesis 1:28).

This brings us to an issue that is often overlooked – the rights of the unborn.  Men and women are called to  create, and it is notable that we only see creative acts in the Bible text before the fall of man.  God creates and then assigns Adam to care for His creation with Eve as his helper (Genesis 2:2:15-24).  It is only after sin has entered the world that we start to see destructive acts which start with Cain murdering Abel (Genesis 4:8) and increase with alarming regularity from that point on.  The point is ‘life’ typifies God’s ideal, whereas ‘death’ typifies the world after the fall of man! Therefore, all life is precious to God from conception through to old age.  Nowhere is this more clearly expressed than in Psalm 139 where David writes:

‘For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.  My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.  Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for, when as yet there was none of them’ (Psalm 139:13-16).

God cares about human life from its conception in the womb till the day of death.  He cares about the victimised and He cares because, ultimately, it is He who gives life.  Our bodies do not ultimately belong to us but to God whether we acknowledge Him or not.  Therefore, as Christians, we are called to care for all.

Slavery may not be an issue for us in this day and age, but we are not to demean or belittle others in any way.  Whether we realise it or not we are all accountable, from the police officer who abuses his position to those who pay no heed to the rights of the unborn, to the God who will judge all things justly (Psalm 9:7-8)!