There is no period where people have not been slaves.
I'm not trying to paint a dim view here. I am pointing at it directly because few important things could be more true. And nearly all people deny it furiously so it's a perfect theme for proper scrutiny.
Where is my master. Who is it?
There are only two places my master can live:
- out there somewhere - and the thing which controls me
- in here - and the thing I control
If my master is 'out there' then my slavery is in the hands of whatever is, 'out there'. And I will complain my whole life about the problems I myself create in the world. Often causing a great deal of harm in the process. Having rendered my master and its actions into the unconscious.
If my master is 'in here', then I am in control of it. I am creating it. It belongs to me. Master and slave cooperate in harmony. My first duty in life is to bring this observation out into the open and face the dragon head on. Observe it, without judgement. And keep on observing it forever. Do not let go. Join together the master and slave I create in a holy union.
I create my master, it belongs to me, it is mine. It's a free choice for me as an individual to decide if I take ownership of it or throw it onto the world, knowing full well the consequences of my free choice - this is the definition of slavery.
Jesus said, "If your leaders say to you, 'Look, the (Father's) imperial rule is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the (Father's) imperial rule is inside you and outside you. When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will understand that you are children of the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you are the poverty."
So what does this mean?
Simply that all of us have a choice to make which no thing has the power to influence - you own this eternal decision which you alone make. You are the final arbiter - the first and last. And there is no escaping it.
We can try to escape if we like by free choice. But then we are the slave, we are the poverty parted from its master. It has nothing to do with worldly wealth and power. If you find yourself blaming material world wealth and power in any way, that is a signal you have decided to escape into poverty. The poverty will now be your master. You will be the poverty.
When people tell me about the history of slavery, I laugh at them in the face. Because I am a slave, here, right now, it is me. I have always existed. And will always exist. I refuse to escape. And these 'historians' are signalling they are far far away from the kingdom. Perhaps on the way to Mars.