The Road to a Savior
Although Silk Threads is a historical account of the roads our world have carved from the last several centuries to current, there are some tragic realities that live on in our cultures today.
Slavery Profits…
Sadly, human trafficking is still a profitable commodity and in high demand. Whether it is the Muslim nation of yesteryears or the Thailand nation of today, human trafficking is alive and well. People are treated as a resource to use and trade for anything from free labor to sexual services. When I read how Rome, Arabia, the Vikings, or Central Europe thrived with slave markets, I realize little has changed with our world in this area. Unimaginably, children were then and continue to be popular victims of this atrocity. The lack of empathy and justification to dominate and oppress another human as if they are inhuman is a tragic reality that has never left our current world and is threaded into many cultures and eras of our past. Slavery played a significant role in building the economic success of nations in our past as well as the present as evidenced in cultures around the world today.
Hidden agendas….
Through the years of the crusades, their efforts were “spiritually focused”, although this was creatively argued by Rogers, a successful businessman from Sicily, as he compared the crusades to less effectiveness as flatulence, and even provided a demonstration to his colleagues for added effect (Kindle, 3339). As the crusades progressed, it “became apparent that there were significant material rewards” to be gained as well (Kindle, 3376-3381). This is a frequent complaint of the church of yesterday as well as the church of today. Some spiritual leaders appear to positively influence spiritual communities with sound doctrine and scriptural beliefs, but somewhere along the way, they become disastrously off-course. Jim Jones is a dramatic example of the power hunger he got from starting as a Methodist minister then evolved into a cult leader who led one of the largest mass suicides in America. Less sinister spiritual leaders are those who misuse church funds/resources for personal gain, or prey upon wealthy individuals to fund their greediness. Spiritual exploitation has never left us.
Bullies for Leaders…
Leaders who bully, and rule through intimidation, as they kill gruesomely to achieve power and fearful submission of the conquering people. Genghis Khan seemed to be a forerunner to more recent cruel dictators such as Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin or Saddam Hussein, who used similar tactics as Khan to intimidate submission and to gain land or resources. I am reminded of my 9th grade High School year of Erika, the Senior who tried to bully my friend out of her lunch seat by telling her to move. Before I could even consider the consequences, I told my friend, Pammy, to stay seated. Erika was furious and spread around school how she was going to beat me up after school, to which everyone felt it was their personal duty to come and warn me about. Although I reasoned this was a ridiculously immature response, I was terrified inside. She outweighed me by 50 pounds and towered several inches over me. Ironically, through a divine twist of fate, she ended up apologizing to me before the day was over instead of fighting me. Looking back, I often wondered what was worse, her threatening to fight me and recruiting willing informers, or initiating a fight with me? I was glad I held my ground instead of acquiescing to her threats, but it was not easy. Fear is a powerful tactic to overcome people and acquire their resources. Khan, Stalin, Hitler, or Erika are all woven from similar cloth. They use fear, force, and intimidation, and the threat of what is to come to cause one to abandon all that is precious to them in the hopes they will be saved, with little concern for the well-being of others. And just like history, bullies are never eliminated; for where one dies another rises to take their place, even if it is a continent or century away. It’s as if they have all read a “bully manual” and expertly live out its’ principles with precision and predictability.
History Repeats Itself…
Through the journey our world has taken, it is interesting to note the patterns that continue to repeat throughout the centuries and nations. Greed, whether for resources like silver, gold, or land, or more subtle conquests such as power over people and land of countries, it knows no bounds, as it stops at nothing for the gain of its’ quest. Just when we think we have lived the worse and have surely learned from the horrors of our past, greed surfaces again and loudly proclaims the entitled right to do whatever to whomever it wants in order to be satiated. The value of people is tragically diminished and the cost is never too great as greed dictates, and its’ thirst is never quenched. This driving force only points to our distinct need for a Savior and a relationship with a kind God who changes people from the inside out with His love, compassion, and grace. To see Saul the murderer change to Paul, a significant Bible author, or Zacchaeus repent from thievery of his people and turn to generosity to his people, or Mary Magdalene move from a tragic past to a significant heroine of the faith, and the significant road Christianity built through the ages, one can find hope in the saving grace of Jesus Christ and the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. This is what greed bows its’ knees and loses its’ grip to if and only if we allow it. May God give us the wisdom to choose godliness over greed.
About the Author
Jennifer Dean-Hill
6 responses to “The Road to a Savior”
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Great application, Jen, to the continuity of tragic threads of history and the present. Thankfully, the thread of the work of the Holy Spirit has also been woven, unbroken, throughout the lands of Frankopan’s focus; even in spite of coercion and crusades and Christendom’s prominence.
Jen, I love the direction you took with the book. There was a common theme of conquest, or looking out for #1, or just posturing to protect what is ours. There didn’t seem to be much in the way of the only true hope for peace in the world. “This driving force only points to our distinct need for a Savior and a relationship with a kind God who changes people from the inside out with His love, compassion, and grace.”
The book was good in the way that it helped us to shift our western-centered focus. But you brought it back to how it fits in with our LGP program.
Jen, you made some excellent connections. I agree, one would have thought by now that we would have learned that unchecked power with a shot of greed is a dangerous combination. But, as you say, we seem to relive it over and over again, and it’s always at the cost of innocent people. God help us to do justly, but also love mercy and walk humbly! Enjoyed your post Jen!
Jen
I love your take on the book in this blog regarding history repeating itself. Your story on bullying touched me, I would have fought Ericka for you. smile
Jen you packed a lot into your post. There is so much here that I could draw from. As leaders it is imperative that we understand the weight and responsibility we bear. What motivates us it crucial to how we exercise and steward our role. If what motivates us is not Christ centered we can easily be succome to the horrible and corrupt temptations that destroy people and leaders every single day. History is a great teacher but how we choose to weave it into our present determines what type of leaders we will become.
Jen, your post brought up so many things for me, especially the idea that, although we want to consider ourselves a benevolent society, we really do live in a bully society.
Your thoughts on slavery took me to our current slave system – the school to prison pipeline for young black men and women. Have you watched 13th? It really rocked my world. It showed me that there is no such thing as equal justice in America right now.
I feel like there has always been a “bully” authority which in someway sought to subjugate and even enslave the people of the lands they sought to conquer. Thank you for bringing these threads into view.