Redeemed at a Price: The Slave Girl

Imagine walking through a bustling city in the American South in the 1860s. Slavery still stains the land, and freedom—even when promised by law—has yet to reach many in chains. The air is thick with heat, dust, and injustice.

You approach the town square, where a slave auction is underway. A young woman, perhaps 20 years old, is led to the auction block. Her dress is threadbare but clean. She stands with silent dignity, but her trembling hands betray the fear she carries. Her eyes scan the crowd—and stop on one man.

He is loud and cruel, infamous for his treatment of slaves. His reputation precedes him: violent, lecherous, domineering. The girl has heard the stories. She knows what it would mean to be “owned” by him. And when he starts the bidding, her face drains of color.

Just then, another man steps forward. He is quiet. He does not raise his voice. He simply nods and raises a hand, placing a counterbid.

The two men go back and forth, the price rising higher than anyone in the crowd expected. Murmurs ripple—why would anyone pay that much for her?

Finally, the cruel man scowls and withdraws. The quiet gentleman has won. He steps forward, pays the sum in full—an extraordinary price—and takes the bill of sale.

The girl lowers her head and begins to follow him. After all, she is his property now.

But the man turns. “Where are you going?” he asks gently.

“I’m going with you,” she says. “You bought me. I belong to you now.”

He shakes his head and smiles, kindly. “No, my dear. You misunderstood. I didn’t purchase you to make you mine. I bought you to set you free.”

He turns the bill of sale over and writes in large, block letters: FREE. Then he signs it with a strong, simple signature and hands it to her.

She stares at the paper in disbelief. “Free? But how can this be? I thought…”

“Yes,” he says, “you were already declared free by the law—but no one was enforcing it. You were still living like a slave. So I paid the price—not because I had to, but because you were worth redeeming.”

Tears stream down her face.  “I can go where I want? Do what I please?” she whispers.

“Yes,” he replies. “You are free.”

She studies him for a long moment. “I don’t know who you are, sir… but no one has ever shown me such kindness. If I am truly free to choose—then I choose to go with you. To serve you—not as your slave, but out of love—all the days of my life.”

And so she did. And that quiet man, who paid the full price for a freedom already promised? It was Abraham Lincoln.

We, too, are free through God’s covenant. But we live enslaved to sin, fear, and shame. Christ did not need to purchase us—He already owned us by creation. Yet, out of love, He paid the ultimate price to enforce our freedom. Not to enslave us, but to restore us. Redeemed. Free.

Just as Abraham Lincoln paid a great price to redeem a girl who was already free by law, we each have the opportunity to use what we've been given to bring redemption to others. What might you be willing to surrender for the sake of someone else’s freedom or flourishing? If your portfolio is primarily serving personal gain rather than advancing God’s eternal purposes—if it’s not bringing heaven down to earth—we’d love to help. I’m Don Simmons, and our vision is a world where investing fosters justice, prosperity, and transformation. My team and I are passionate about helping you align your investments with both your family’s goals and your deepest values—optimizing for environmental, social, financial, and eternal returns.