Freedom

Christian Thinking on Freedom.

Christian thinking has always encapsulated freedom as an intrinsic part of humanity. Every human being is created free. The concept of slavery, dis-empowerment, inhibition, is alien to the concept of freedom to be. Freedom to be is a fundamental, a given to humanity. It was a gift from He who is free. Freedom to be loved, freedom to love, freedom to give ourselves is who we are in our humanity. Freedom is essentially a part of my consciousness as a human being, it is part of who we are. So in a way no external circumstances such as war, prison, famine, persecution, abuse etc. can take away my freedom if I maintain the correct perspective. There are profound stories from the concentration camps of the last war where men have never allowed themselves to be enslaved to the inhumanity that was part of their existence at that time. So no matter what the current Government comes up with, no matter the high fuel prices, my arthritic hip, the breakdown of human relations, or the injustice of the stasi Eu. nothing can take my freedom from me.

But I know, and I see by experience, that I am not really free. Fear, anxiety, discomfort, dis-ease, sickness, poverty, death fill my world. These realities scream at me telling me I am not free, and the freedom I crave for is somewhat illusionary. Freedom is mine, but how can I live in it and experience it in my day to day living? It is here that we need to interject the biblical concept of the fall of man. It is evident that every thing in the garden is not rosy. What had been created perfectly has undergone a massive trauma, resulting in a reverse of perfection, and a slide to degeneration. The earth itself groans under this pressure and mankind lives now as a shadow of that which was intended. Coupled with the damage done to my soul I see my freedom, a gift of God, is now perverted into a self centred exercise in what is best for me. Left without civil law, checks and balances, I would use my freedom to steal, molest, rape, or even kill. I am free to do so as freedom is part of who I am, but now I am aware that this precious gift has been so distorted, and I am not truly free to be the person I long to be.

Is there a solution to this very negative situation? Well yes there is, and we need to take a look at real freedom in action on the face of the earth. Two thousand years ago Jesus walked the dusty roads of Israel as a living human embodiment of God. Look closely and we can see the true nature of He who is invisible. Everything Jesus did was 'other centred'. He was free to be love itself, though love is, and that produces the action. Love is for others, God is love, and love is for others. Our concept of love has been tainted by the fall. Many of us have never experienced love, and we don't know what it is outside of some romantic illusion from Hollywood. Love has it's roots in the care and well being of another. True freedom allows me to live my life for others, to have the care and well being of others on my mind constantly. Jesus said that no man has greater love than to lay down his life for his friends.

What the church has not been very good at is proclaiming the good news. Humanity in it's fallen state cannot love perfectly. Only God can love as He is love. But on the cross at Calvary Jesus loved us enough to rectify the fallen state of humanity and opened the way for us to be reconciled to God and His plan of re-generating the human race. When the Holy Spirit came into the upper room at Pentecost it wasn't to give the frightened disciples a bit of a lift, but to implement part of God's plan to incorporate all of humanity into Him, by Him coming into humanity. Christ in me is my hope of glory. Christ in me as my life means I am free. Free to be loved, free to love, and free to give myself away.