WHERE'S ABRAHAM LINCOLN WHEN YOU NEED HIM?

Former St. Louis Cardinal outfielder, Curt Flood, was my childhood hero and later became my dear friend. Curt knew all too well the rigors of post-slavery in America. He lived in it. I give you only one example. When the team would report to Spring Training in Florida, the white men would stay in the luxury hotel and the black men would be put on a bus, driven out of to the edge of town, and put up in a funeral home. They would sleep among the corpses. The ingredient that bonded Curt and me was our hunger to see slavery, and it's aftermath, eradicated.

Now how does a middle-class white boy have any earthly idea about slavery? I see it in the church. I see the truth of Paul's sentence: The law kills, but the Spirit gives life. Man-made laws imposed upon the divine construction of the church of Jesus will kill the people. It is killing them now. Church houses are full of prisoners held without bars. Members are afraid. They fear they might make the wrong move, believe the wrong thing, and/or speak the wrong way. This explains why, for so many in the church, so little movement, lack of Bible study to grow/change, and piddly efforts to share the great news with neighbors takes place. There is enormous fear of getting it wrong. Their spirits are held captive. Sadly, these inmates defend with enormous tenacity their restrictive style and their code-talk.

The slave master, Fear, reframes his wording so the prisoners will not feel so blatant about their stark demise. He doesn't point out they are afraid. He leads them to simply, reasonably be safe. Just to be safe is the principle of a cooperative and surrendered prisoner. A well-known church leader advised me years ago, Terry, don't live in the extremes where men can shoot at you. You need to stay in the middle of the road, and more of the brotherhood will be more comfortable with your ministry. Sorry Charlie. Jesus on the cross simply is not the middle of the road. He is extreme. Take a look at his exposed, multi-lashed, deeply ripped back and talk to me about the middle of the road. Tell us again about playing it safe.

The number of people once in the church and now gone due to being killed by the law is extreme. The number of people bailing on us for other brands of churches due to the discouraging leadership of fear is extreme. The need to wade out into the zones of captivity and bring our people back is extreme.

We have work to do. We have people to rescue. We have slaves to free. We are on a mission. I join the rest of you who are doing a mighty work in setting the captives free!