Freedom is the desire of the human spirit. I live in a country that has often unabashedly called itself the “land of the free.” Americans speak of freedom so much in our shared political life that we are pretty much a stereotype of ourselves. It is easy for enlightened elites like me to roll our eyes at such a notion until one speaks to a well-traveled person. We actually are more free than most of the developed world by a number of measures. Though we are not as free as we once were, comparing and contrasting with other countries can often lend a profound sense of gratitude.
The desire for freedom is embedded pretty deeply into the narrative of the bible. The story of the Exodus is arguably a metaphor for the entire experience of the elect community, as well as a historical account. All of us are born enslaved to sin. It takes a supernatural, miraculous intervention from the Lord of Hosts to liberate us from our captivity, lead us into the wilderness, initiate us into covenant, and then take us to the promised land. That is the blueprint of salvation in our scriptures.
But you’ll notice I inserted something pretty key here: covenant. We are not freed for the sake of libertine hedonism. Rather, we are freed in order to freely obey the Lord’s commandments. For, as Jesus reminds us, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Christ frees us from sin through the power of his atoning blood shed on the cross, applied to our hearts through the work of the Holy Ghost. We are free indeed. But for what do we use our freedom?
Prior to this particular libertine culture that is now so pervasive across the West, there was a concept called noblesse oblige. The notion was that those of privilege were morally obligated to use it for the benefit of the less privileged. Or as Uncle Ben says in the Spider-man story, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Instinctively, whether or not it is popular, we know it to be true.
I think that is why so many compete in what is crassly called “the oppression olympics.” Victims cannot be expected to do anything helpful or contribute much. Folks would rather be powerless slaves than free men and women, capable of and obligated to use their freedom for God’s glory and for the benefit of others. Many would rather return to the “fleshpots of Egypt,” so to speak, rather than to “accept the freedom and power God gives them.”
The political freedom given to us in the West, like the freedom we are given from sin in Christ, is meant to be used for something. There is a right way to use it and a wrong way to use it. That’s why John Adams famously said, “Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
We would do well to remember our duties and obligations. If we do not intentionally claim and use the freedom we have been given, politically or spiritually, then we do not deserve to have it and, indeed, we can and will lose it. Like a dog returning to its vomit, we can choose to go back into the slavery of sin. Be warned.
Let’s make sure the freedom we have been given from The United Methodist Church is used rightly.
When I hear stories of people in other lands who literally walk miles to worship together or are forced to go underground to worship because of persecution I am in awe of their faithfulness. We have taken our freedom to worship for granted or as a nation failed to honor God for his generosity and blessings to us. We will reap what we have sown.