The Freedom of the Mind

Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17.

Swing low, sweet chariot

Coming for to carry me home

Swing low, sweet chariot

Coming for to carry me home

These lyrics were penned sometime before 1860 by an African man called Wallace Willis. Although this is what he was called, it was not his name.

This man’s name is not on our records today because it was taken from him and replaced with a name given to him by his captor, Britt Willis. Wallace’s birthplace, family members and nationality are also unknown to us. Yet, we know his song. And this song gives us a sliver of insight into his mind.

Wallace was enslaved near Hugo, Oklahoma, and he toiled beside the Red River throughout his life. Scholars believe that the sight of this river reminded him of the Jordan River and how the prophet Elijah was taken up in a chariot to be with the LORD.

Although slavery and captivity stained the life of Wallace Willis, his mind was still filled with hope. The words in his song and his life do not seem to match. However, it shows us that even when one is without freedom of the body – there can still be freedom of the mind.

Wallace fixed his mind on the scriptures he knew and the promise that his home was not of this world. In the physical, Wallace was in captivity. Yet, he was freer than those without chains. He knew that his freedom depended not on those who thought they had the power but on the One who really did.

In life, we often find ourselves in captivity, although rarely to the horrifying extent of Wallace. Still, we can get stuck in tough situations we never thought we would find ourselves in. Frequently, these situations throw themselves on us without warning and are completely out of our control:

Losing a loved one.

Financial stresses.

Family troubles.

Relational pain.

Illness.

Sometimes they can strip us of our dignity, sour our past or even label us as something other than our name.

And yet, there is freedom because the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Because of the ultimate price paid by Jesus Christ, we have free access to the Holy Spirit. Everywhere we go, and at all times, we get to have the Spirit of the Lord in our midst. We get to have freedom in our midst.

In Wallace’s time, black people were bought and sold into slavery. However, a slave owner (or any white man) could set a slave free by “purchasing” the individual and signing papers that indicated that the person was free.

At this time, freedom for a black man looked like a piece of paper with a white man’s signature. This could easily be stolen, ruined or destroyed – and the freedom this world gives along with it. And even with the legal document, there was still prejudice, violence, racism and hate at every turn.

The freedom that Christ offers us is altogether different from the freedom offered by the world.

Christ’s freedom allowed Paul and Silas to sing while in prison.

Christ’s freedom is what encouraged John to preach in the wilderness.

Christ’s freedom strengthened Stephen to say, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” while he was stoned to death.

And Christ’s freedom enabled Wallace to keep his eyes fixed on the promises of the Word of God.

‘Swing low, sweet chariot is a song I grew up singing in elementary school. At the time, I didn’t know who wrote it, and I didn’t know their story. Many who sing the song today still don’t know.

Wallace was thought to have been born around 1820. He was granted worldly freedom sometime after the civil war (1865) and became a citizen of Oklahoma. However, he died about 15 years later.

The heartbreaking story of Wallace’s life is not well known, but his words of hope are. Although he was legally free for only 15 years, Wallace was able to live in freedom his entire life – even while receiving horrific treatment.

The freedom of his mind outlived the freedom of his body.

For years, Wallace sang about the freedom he would one day have and the home he would one day return to.

Today, Wallace is home.

I looked over the Jordan, and what do I see

Coming for to carry me home

A band of angels coming after me

Coming for to carry me home