This week after much negative publicity delivered against President Donald Trump, following years of captivity of three American citizens, Trump successfully negotiated their secure release. It was anticipated that their incarceration would be for years, if not decades to come, with no expectation of release. It was noted that Trump’s intervention and ability to negotiate their unexpected release marked a pivotal time in his office and, for many, suggested his able skills as a negotiator.
The captives – Kim Hak Song, Tony Kim and Kim Dong Chul – were imprisoned over a year ago, on suspicion of espionage and political bargaining, having been captured in North Korea, where they assumed them guilty. The trauma and hopelessness that their families had been experiencing had been swiftly nullified with their prompt release.
Jesus, in his inauguration speech, makes reference to Isaiah 61:1 where he says, ‘The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound’, and the centre of his message is that he came to set the captives free.
Liberation can come at an unexpected time or from an unexpected source, but regardless, everybody at some time or some place in their life needs to be from someone, something or somewhere.
A former South African President once said, “There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere.” Nelson Mandela.
This week as we applaud the efforts of Donald Trump and the release of the three captives, let us remember those still held physically, mentally, socially, economically and or spiritually captive. Remembering that Jesus is the ultimate liberator, whose mission remains to set the captives free.
