Choosing Freedom.
This season has been one massive cultural conversation about freedom.
We’ve argued over the freedom to wear or not wear a mask. We’ve debated the freedom to eat at a restaurant or shut everything down. There has been mass protest over freedom from racism and inequality. The last month has been a chaotic mess of political freedom. Churches have been in courts over religious freedom. Free speech has been huge topic of conversation. We all long to be free from a pandemic that seems to drag on.
This makes sense, as our nation was founded on ideals of freedom. Liberty was listed as one of our inalienable rights as a human being. We are a people obsessed with freedom.
And yet, so many people I talk with are in some type of emotional, spiritual and physical captivity.
In many ways, this pandemic has just revealed a deeper internal yearning to live a life that is free. Masks, restaurants and gatherings are just external representations of what I believe is a core longing in humanity. I wonder what would happen if we started having a conversation about that before we debated how many should gather for Thanksgiving.
Every decision that we make either opens up or places limitations on the freedom that we and our communities have available to us. What you ate for breakfast will determine the freedom of energy that is available to you midmorning. Whether or not you flossed your teeth will determine the freedom of health you live in. What route you took to work will determine the freedom of time that you have. The trick is being able to see the link between cause and effect when it comes to our freedom.
Most people equate freedom with doing what they want. This is often a lethal mistake.
A wise teacher once said “My friends, you were chosen to be free. So, don't use your freedom as an excuse to do anything you want. Use it as an opportunity to serve each other with love. All the Law says can be summed up in the command to love others as much as you love yourself.” Our freedom is intimately connected to our willingness to live our lives for others.
What if we stopped asking the question “does this make me happy?” and started asking the question “does this maximize freedom for myself and others?”
I was at Klatch Coffee the other day and found myself perusing the pastry display before ordering. Right when I was about to order the crème brulee bagel, that very question hit me hard: will this open up or close down freedom for you and others? The decision became very easy for me.
While I have no intention to wrap up this blog with moralizing all over you about masks, lockdowns, speech and gatherings, I would ask you to consider to ask a different question – for the those listed above and for the deeper longings of your heart. “Does this open up or limit the freedom available to me?”
You might just be surprise how much liberty is waiting for you.
