Bakhita
Today is the feast day of Josephine Margaret Bakhita, the patron saint of the Sudan and of survivors of human trafficking.
Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. - Galatians 5:19-24
Bakhita spent the her early life as a slave, stolen from her family by Arab slave traders when she was just a child. Bakhita is not her real name. She forgot that while enduring years of abuse, being sold and bought numerous times before adulthood.
Eventually, she was sold to an Italian Consul who took her to Italy and sold her to a family there. When they decided to go back to Sudan, they left her with the Canossian Sisters in Venice.
Now the fascinating thing about this is when all this occurred. Bakhita was born sometime around 1869, and was left in the care of the sisters in 1888, and even though slavery was not recognized in Italy, she had still been sold there.
It was under the care of the sisters that she gained her freedom, and was able to make decisions about her life for the first time. She chose to join the order, and became well known throughout Italy.
In today's reading we are told to abandon the desires of the flesh for the fruits of the Spirit. That is not easy for some to do.
Even though slavery had been abandoned here in the U.S. and in Italy, the African slave trade was still active and thriving. What surprised me about this story is that people living in a country that didn't recognize slavery, bought slaves and kept them there.
Now not all of Bakhita's owners abused her. Some treated her well, but she was still owned by them, and could not make decisions for herself.
It is not enough to outlaw cruelty and abuse. It must be obvious to us that these things are wrong. And that is where the Spirit comes in.
When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we stop putting our needs and desires above those of others. We treat them with respect and love them.
Today as we remember Bakhita, let us take a moment to look at how we treat those around us. Are we acting superior and more righteous?
If so, perhaps we should take a humility break and set free all bonds that keep others beneath us, in our minds and in our hearts.
More to come...