A Baptist People is the monthly message of Jonathan Edwards, the General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain. Click on the month to see Archive messages.
FREEDOM - THE SEARCH GOES ON! - May 2007
"I have been really grateful for the focus on slavery over the past few months, as we have marked the 200th Anniversary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act. The slave trade is an agonizing and grotesque part of our history. It is painful to be reminded of it . but we dare not forget it. The most painful part has been to be reminded that slavery was held in place for hundreds of years by strong Christian people. They argued from Scripture that slavery was part of God's plan and observed that many of those who were sold as slaves were being saved from a wretched existence in Africa. It is almost beyond belief that all of this could happen. But it did."
"And it still does. The simple fact is that the world allows slavery to continue. When we did the filming for this year's Baptist Union DVD amongst the Portuguese speaking migrant workers in Norfolk, it was impossible not to feel that this was simply a 21st century version of slavery. It is true that these migrant workers have come to this country of their own free will. But the way in which they are exploited and degraded by life in this country is simply horrific."
"As Christians we celebrate the freedom that we have in Christ. But it simply isn't good enough to enjoy our own freedom. We are commissioned to seek freedom for others. That involves both sharing the Good News of Jesus and working politically to enable others to find the justice and liberty that God wants everyone to enjoy."
FREEDOM - THE SEARCH GOES ON! - May 2007
"I have been really grateful for the focus on slavery over the past few months, as we have marked the 200th Anniversary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act. The slave trade is an agonizing and grotesque part of our history. It is painful to be reminded of it . but we dare not forget it. The most painful part has been to be reminded that slavery was held in place for hundreds of years by strong Christian people. They argued from Scripture that slavery was part of God's plan and observed that many of those who were sold as slaves were being saved from a wretched existence in Africa. It is almost beyond belief that all of this could happen. But it did."
"And it still does. The simple fact is that the world allows slavery to continue. When we did the filming for this year's Baptist Union DVD amongst the Portuguese speaking migrant workers in Norfolk, it was impossible not to feel that this was simply a 21st century version of slavery. It is true that these migrant workers have come to this country of their own free will. But the way in which they are exploited and degraded by life in this country is simply horrific."
"As Christians we celebrate the freedom that we have in Christ. But it simply isn't good enough to enjoy our own freedom. We are commissioned to seek freedom for others. That involves both sharing the Good News of Jesus and working politically to enable others to find the justice and liberty that God wants everyone to enjoy."