marvin olasky
Marvin Olasky is editor in chief of WORLD Magazine and the provost of The King's College in New York City. He is the author of 20 books including Compassionate Conservatism and The American Leadership Tradition. Click here to read several of his books online. To read Marvin's biographical series, "A pilgrim's slow progress," and listen to podcast commentaries related to the series, click here.
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The life of a slave

Only with Jesus as his Master, writes Michael Card in his new book, can a person find true freedom | by Marvin Olasky

Singer-songwriter and author Michael Card has been a slave for Christ since he was 8 years old, but attending an African-American church helped teach him what that really means. His latest book, A Better Freedom, explores that theme.

Q: Why did you write your new book, A Better Freedom: Finding Life as Slaves of Christ? I was discipled in an African-American church. When we prayed we would always call Jesus "Master." I had not experienced that in the white, Southern Baptist culture—in fact, my first experience with church was looking down the aisle to see a line of deacons blocking the door in front of a black family that was trying to visit our church. Wendell Berry talks about the "hidden wound," and that was kind of a hidden wound experience for me.

Q: And calling Jesus "Master" signified . . .? My pastor said it was a hold-over from slavery: Slaves called Jesus "Master." When I read it in the Bible, curios originally meant "owner." Mary says, "Behold the slave of the Master." Paul talks a lot about it. You've got the Philemon issue: Why does Paul send Onesimus back? Why wasn't Paul a William Wilberforce?

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