Freedom

We are promised in the scriptures "Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom!". I wonder how many people truly live a life of freedom? There are so many things which enslave and trap us. There are things outside of our control, abuse and harm done to us. There are things which we control but cannot seem to step out of, greed and consumerism etc.

There is an intense drive in our culture to get ahead, and differentiate yourself from the crowd. Our American culture has become a celebration of the individual, and the celebration of diversity. These two celebrations have lead to a culture which has lost its sense of community. Sure we like to talk about community, but it is not possible because we must defend our right to be an individual, our right to be a part of the diversity. In our pursuit to maintain these things we have become enslaved to values which hold us down. We must defend territory, stake our claim in the world. Politics and power plays have become the rules of engagement. In the end we are trapped in a life style that is stealing life rather than giving life.

Have we not noticed the reported cases of depression have skyrocketed. There are more people on medication than an other time in history. People uses all kinds of escape tools; drugs, alcohol, television, pornography and the list could go on, to try and fix what seems empty in their lives. That emptiness is the pain of imprisonment to ourselves. What we need is freedom. Not freedom promised by the American way. Not freedom to be individuals. Not freedom to be who ever I want to be. We need freedom that comes from the Spirit of God.

The freedom of the Lord is not so we can create a new system of imprisonment. Rather we are free to be a full member of God's missional community. We have been set free from whatever our past holds. We have been set free from the endless striving. We have been set free from power struggles and politics. We are free indeed to live as a full participant of God's community through the grace offered to all through Jesus Christ.

Let's be people of freedom!