Whilst reading Maya Angelou’s book, ‘I know why the caged bird sings’ my own thinking made me realise that so do I. Maya recounts her upbringing in the Deep South of America in the 1950’s. She points out the fact that some of the Afro American people really just learned how to put up with their abuse, it was their lot, it was expected and probably, they thought, what God wanted. She admitted words to the affect of, the poorer, more abused and put down her people were, the more God was involved. Yet if people prospered, that can’t have had anything to do with God.

Separate from reading this book, I also discovered another fact about the second word war – did you know that one statistic that has been revealed was that, on average, it only took one guard to control 1000 Jews?  It seems, they (not all, some did stand up to the German oppression – the film, ‘Defiance’ tells their story) were more content to accept their lot than to fight. How easy would it have been to take control of one German soldier? Yes, they’d have sent more, but at least the Jews would have gone down with a sense of dignity and fight. I don’t know for sure, but it makes you think.

So, with this evidence, it got me thinking… some were happy to sing in their cage because that was so much easier than fighting. The known darkness, abuse, oppression, was easier than the unknown. It was easier to sing in a cage than it was to push open the cage door and fly out.

After being in ministry for almost 30 years, I see many Christians singing in cages. They’re happy, content, fed and secure. They are free to sing, they don’t have to feed themselves and they’re comfortable with what they have concluded is their lot.

PLEASE!…. think again. Does God really need caged birds – however beautiful they may sing? Do caged birds really represent Jesus well on earth? There is no answer to that question except a very loud ‘no!’

Jesus’ death was ultimately about securing eternal life for those who would accept it, but I believe it was also about letting thousands, millions of human beings out of their cages and saying, ‘hey, look at me fly!!’

The problem, as I see it, in the church today, is that we have become far too apathetic and we can’t be bothered to find out why we’re in the cage and what we need to do to get out. I say ‘what we need to do’ purposely. Jesus did it all at Calvary. The enemy was defeated. Jesus won! He loves you, He is for you!

However, it’s much easier to stay in the cage and say to pastors, counsellors, leaders, ‘feed me’ ‘care for me’ ‘visit me’ ‘pray for me’ rather than opening that cage door and saying, ‘right! That’s it! Satan, you were defeated! God, what do I need to do to get out of my cage? I am ready to obey and commit to getting free!

Is it harder to open the cage door? Of course it is! Will you get a better life? For sure! If you let a bird out of a cage, I imagine, for a while, it’s not sure what to do for food or protection, but eventually, if it keeps going, a whole new world will open up to it. It’s the same for us. Yes, it’s risky, scary, unknown, but don’t you think that if Jesus died to give you eternal life, life forever in paradise, he has also got your life on earth covered too? If you comply with His word, if you’re open to saying ‘yes’ even when you don’t know what’s round the corner, I’m certain your life will be one amazing adventure! If you choose to stay in your cage, you’ll be safe, comfortable, fed and you’ll be free to sing, but you will miss out on the world that God could open up for you if only you’d open your cage door.

Go on… I dare you……