Prisoners
wear chains. Slaves wear chains. Prisoners work for nothing. So do slaves.
Prisoners receive the worst care and treatment as do slaves. Neither
prisoners nor slaves are free.
The
difference between prisoners and slaves is that if a wall comes down, most prisoners
will try to escape. Most slaves will start
repairing the wall.
We
think we are prisoners held back by an unjust system. But, when a wall falls and a way to advance
appears, do you rush for the opportunity; or do you stand around complaining
about the mess, waiting for the overseers of the system to give you the tools to
clean up by rebuilding the wall?
Are
you a prisoner of the system or a slave to it?
Opportunity
doesn’t free many slaves. So simply removing the obstacles to freedom won’t
help slaves because they still look to the system to provide for them, and when
they experience discomfort outside the system’s support they will return and
submit to the system’s supervision.
Prisoners
will suffer, starve, go without, and avoid areas of comfort just to stay free
from the system.
The
question isn’t “Who’s holding you back?”
The question is, “Whom do you expect to help you move forward?”
---Anderson T. Graves
II is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry,
and rural leadership development.
Rev.
Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Miles Chapel CME Church in Fairfield,
Alabama; executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking
Organization (SAYNO); and director of
rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).
Email atgravestwo2@aol.com
Follow
me on twitter @AndersonTGraves #Awordtothewise
You
can help support Rev. Graves’ work by visiting his personal blog and clicking the DONATE button
on the right-hand sidebar.
Support
by check or money order may be mailed to
Miles
Chapel CME Church
P O
Box 132
Fairfield,
Al 35064
Who would you trust more? A slave or a prisoner?
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