So today is July 4th. It is the day we celebrate the birth of the United States. Actually, it’s the day we reflect on America’s Declaration of Independence from England. We, at least a significant number of people, declared that the thirteen colonies would be free of English rule. It would take a number of years to finish fighting the war of independence and still a little longer to ratify the Constitution and form a government. It just goes to show that declaring that one is free, and living a life in freedom are two different things.
Freedom is a word that will be thrown around a lot today, and almost seems to be the one word that citizens of the United States believe is their private property. And yet, there are many ways to view freedom.
The simplest one is that we are free to do what we want. I hear this a lot. We are free to say what we want, do what we want, go where we want and so on. And yet, I cannot yell “fire” in a crowded theater. I cannot go into my neighbors house, or the White House if I want. I cannot simply take something in a store and leave without paying. I cannot drive over the speed limit, at least significantly. There are boundaries. So freedom does not mean we are free from consequences.
Freedom is not really complete freedom, is it? I mean, I may want a certain piece of legislation, but if it is not voted upon and enacted, then I don’t get it. Just because we wish for something to be does not mean it is. We all face limitations on our perceived freedom.
I saw a quote earlier this week, “Freedom is not the ability to do whatever you want. Freedom is the strength of character to do what is good, true, noble, and right.” Matthew Kelly.
Many people are constrained by economics, social pressures, lack of education, and more from being able to do what is right. They are hemmed in to a way of life that may not be right. There are gang members who are forced into gangs because of the dynamics of their society and communities. There are people who steal to survive, say the right thing to keep their jobs, behave certain ways to be accepted by a certain group.
I really like this understanding of freedom though. We are truly free when we can use our voices to protect the silenced. We are truly free when we can feed the hungry. We are truly free when we be who we are or who we want to be without fear of persecution or worse. The longer I live, the more I feel as if we have misconstrued the idea of freedom with the concept of being entitled. Too many walk through this world as if they deserve the best of things because they are free. They say things that are harmful in the name of free speech. They act abusivley saying it is their right.
Jesus did not give us freedom that we might export others. Our freedom in Christ is founded on the notion that we are free to serve God and others. We are free to go into the world, putting down the burdens of our guilt and breaking the chains of our sins that we might share the love of Christ with the least, the lost, and the last. Many of us, myself included, have been given a gift, a place in the world, where we can be the voice of the oppressed, the children, and the threatened. We are free to be not just who we want to be, but more importantly, to be who God wants us to be.
Friends, I hope you are able to rest today. I pray the Barbecue is great, and that the fire works don’t frighten your puppies too much. I also pray that you are able to express your freedom in a meaningful manner, that is, that you are able to set others free as well.
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