Call + Response has been out for a while, but alas, I just watched it. And go figure, I am inspired. First of all it is inspiring to see individuals who are giving their lives, their voices, their careers, their talents, to abolishing modern day slavery. I realize I need to fight that voice in my head that says it can’t be done, because it CAN be done. Slavery has been abolished before, we can do it again, and this time with the help of much more resources. I am sold: I do believe that this is a 21st century challenge to an age old problem that we all are faced with and called to respond to. We are responsible.
We must do what we can with what we have. And what we have is… a lot.
We have our voice, resources, education, talents, gifts, consumer power, the wisdom of God, the power of the Holy Spirit and community. Slavery was abolished before because of concerted effort and solidarity. It can and will happen again in the same way.
But I’m afraid.
I’m afraid that I will forget the hopelessness in their voices
and the emptiness in their eyes.
I’m afraid I will forget the anguish I felt for them.
I’m afraid that the empowered voice in my head that said “Yes! I must do something. I can liberate these people!” will fade away.
But what if we don’t let it fade away.
What if we encouraged one another to
consider the challenge
to fight for another’s freedom
to fight for another’s laughter and song
to fight for another’s dignity.
What if “holding each other accountable” took on a whole other level?
What if we followed the ramifications of our actions to the ends of the earth (rather than foolishly thinking they stop at us)
and what if we saw the tremendous power we have as consumers, decision makers, social changers?
What if we harnessed this power and freed the oppressed
to sing the better song of freedom.
I’m afraid I will forget the way I felt sitting there, looking at the faces of God’s beautiful creation–
tormented and broken–
wanting so badly to break into their lives and bring them hope and liberation,
to rescue them from their hell and lead them outside,
so they can look up at the endless sky
simply because
now they can.
I fear that the blatant corruption and evil I saw will be overshadowed,
that the moving music, impassioned calls, fiery convictions
will be subsumed by
a stressful paper to write
a job to find
a family member I must call
a traffic jam I must endure.
And I will forget
the 27 million (individuals with names, fears, hopes, desires, just like us)
who know no freedom
of writing a paper
searching for a job
talking with family
battling traffic
And beyond this, they don’t even know how
to read or write,
express themselves or laugh.
They don’t
even know how
to smile.
Again, I am pleading with my self, with my flesh in all its funk, with my community
with you
to cry with them
and to fight for them.
I fear I will move on and say one day,
Yes, I saw that movie.
Yes, I knew there were 27 million oppressed, enslaved individuals (each created and loved passionately by a God who knows them by name and calls us to love and liberate them)
and…no
I didn’t respond
because I had a paper to write
a phone call to make.
And besides, what can one person do?
That, my friends, is the voice of an oppressor.
And I fear that in all my shock and paralysis, I will only succumb to being
yet another slave trader
out of cowardice and disconnect.
Like Ashley Judd said (something to the effect of), ” I don’t want my purchases to be another’s torture, my freedom to be another’s slavery.”
“And now let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds.” Hebrews 10:24
Solidarity + Action = Call + Response
Addendum:
It starts somewhere, and somewhere is all it takes. No action is too small.
In my humble opinion, these are the 4 first main steps we can take:
1) Become a conscious consumer. I am convinced that this is the first most tangible, immediate, powerful step. Know who you are oppressing. Know who you are empowering. Live, love, shop and eat intentionally. It does make a difference. “What you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it.” (Gandhi)
2) Identify your strength. What are you good at? Do that. God intentionally gave us different gifts and I believe he desires us to use this to love and liberate the world. Making a musical documentary (a “rockumentary” if you will) was creative and beautifully harnessed the power of music for a greater cause. Those people used their strengths. If organizing is your “thing”, then organize an event to have a group or community write their senator requesting him/her to address slavery.
3) Pray– for wisdom, vision, courage, for the slaves and slave traders
Wow, what a powerful response to the movie. I know that these types of moments always lead me to words, a desire to express and release my new knowledge. Here’s what I did, stopped shopping, took a walk, prayed and cried. Then I did it again and again. Then I told a friend go see this movie and talk about it. I know that we at New Wine love our dialogue and it is vitally important, not for its own sake but for the power of the word which leads to action, and the beauty of a transformation that removes the scales from our eyes and peels the shingles from our heart. Enter real dialogue, put your guts on the line, let it affect you, feel something, anything! Thanks, Kelsi, you are taking accountability to a whole new level for me.
Never enslave yourself and do right and all will be right…
c/o