October 19, 2001
I took another road trip this weekend. Six hours (each way) alone with my mind...
On my mind were the terms Patriotism, and Freedom. Nearly every car I passed had a flag waving or a flag decal in the window. I wondered what the flag means to each person. Certainly showing American pride. Pride in what though? Does waving the flag mean the same for you as it does for me? For that matter I haven’t yet displayed a flag on my car. Does that make me un-American? I ran through the typical patriotic songs. “o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave” and “let freedom ring” were lines that stuck in my mind.
"When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!" I have a dream - MLK
What does it mean to be free? to have freedom? If we are not free what are we?
There was a time I recall
We played in the sunshine one and all
time of our lives when we were small
Young and full of heart
Somewhere along the weary way
Tenderness leaves the games we play
Pain is too high a price to pay
And so we drift apart...
Sometimes I think the best has gone
When you look around at what we’ve done
To persecute all we’re living on...
When we were children we would run
Knowing that there could be someone
To keep us from all that could go wrong
Now we face our lives...
“Purity”
The Promise
T ‘Pau
©1991
More and more I need you now
I owe you more each passing hour
The battle between grace and pride
Given up not so long ago
so steal my heart and take the pain
and wash my feet and cleanse my pride
Take the selfish, take the weak
and all the things I cannot hide
Take the beauty, take my tears...
Take my world apart, take it now
And serve the ones I despise
And speak the words I can’t deny
Watch the world I used to know
Fall to dust and blow away...
“Worlds Apart”
Jars of Clay
Jars of Clay
©1995
To not be free is to be enslaved to something. That something will be the same yet different for each one of us. Fear comes to mind. Yet the manifestation of fear in our lives will take on various forms. Fear is immobilizing. It happens every day at work, in relationships, during recreation. We could say some types of fear are good as it puts us in check to live another day. Or would that be wisdom rather than fear? This I know: fear keeps us from moving forward. The Biblical record is filled with “Fear not” and “Don’t be afraid.”
Perfect love casts out fear. Love doesn’t demand its own way. It isn’t jealous or irritable. It isn’t boastful or proud. And while love does not rejoice in wrongdoing, it does rejoice in the truth. Love’s faith, hope and patience never fail. Is not this a description of God’s character?
“I've never been walkin' around safe in my own hometown
never bought a wedding gown or made my own sound
never come up from the underground...”
When we are filled with God’s character will we know fear? What has he done for us?
“And He said, "you can go"
and no one could believe it
when they heard
He said, "you can go"
and in the air
the world had gently turned”
God calls us to himself. He tells us we can go, that we are free. Something happened when God was with us. His love for his creation was quite demonstrative. He sees us as the pearl of great price. We are hiding all too well. But he knows where we are and what we can be. He sold everything he had and was to win us back to himself. He has a plan for us - a hope for our future. When we accept him we begin to change. When we let him completely inside us, we will be free.
“I’m walkin' around safe in my own hometown
I bought a wedding gown
I’m makin’ my own sound
I’m comin’ up from the underground...”
“You Can Go”
Three Days In Spring
Clarence and the neon iguanas
©1999
The truth will set you free. What truth? What freedom? Does the truth you believe in set you free? If the Son sets you free you are free indeed. For he has not given us a spirit of fear: but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Come and let us reason together...
Freedom. My friend, Keith Johnson put the following list together of what freedom means to him. As I read it I think of specific areas of my own life and find myself convicted of needing to let go and accept God’s freedom.
“To me ‘Freedom’ is:
1) ... Not being afraid to die; which frees me from ever having to yield to force, fear, intimidation, and manipulation, which allows me to live for integrity and the principle of love, instead of the principle of pride.
2) ...Having a clear conscience, so regrets, guilt, and shame are unable to hold me captive to my past - so I can live (act, not react) in the here and now.
3) ...Not being afraid of the truth, along with the willingness and honesty to admit when I am wrong or I don't know (to face and conquer my fears - knowing God will be there with me).
4) ...Being free of all “pity parties” - knowing “all things work together for good...”
5) ...Not being afraid of any consequences that may come from the choices that I make (or the choices of others) and the ability to take ownership of my decisions without having to blame anybody.
6) ...Doing right, because it is right, without any external rewards or punishments.
7) ...Realizing that I am only entitled to whatever anybody is able and willing to give.
8) ...Being free of any and all inferiority and superiority complexes.
9) ...Being free of hatred and prejudices that need to victimize others in thought, word, or deed
10) ...Being free from needing others to like me, but willing to like and even love others -- regardless whether it comes back or not.
11) ...Being free to give gifts or to assist others without expecting anything in return.
12) ...Being free from obligations and expectations - in any and all relationships.
13) ...Being free to respect another person’s right to be wrong, without trying to clone them into my image. To also provide them with a safe place in the relationship to heal and mature.
14) ...Being free from superficiality and the opinions of others.
15) ...Being free to be me, without any masks - while being an all-weather, non-judgmental friend.
16) ...Realizing that my freedom ends where the other person’s freedom begins.
17) ...Being more concerned with the rights of others than my own.
18) ...Being involved in relationships without any ulterior motives.
19) ...Being real and sincere in caring about others more than myself.
20) ...Being free of jealousy and the need to compete with or control others.
21) ...Allowing anybody and everybody into my inner-circle of intimacy.
22) ...Being free to try - without fear of failing, criticism, or rejection.
23) ...Realizing that I have only one life to live and I cannot nor do I have the right to try to think for or to live anybody else’s life for them.
24) ...Being free to laugh at myself (along with others)...without embarrassment.
25) ...Realizing that the only control that I have involves my choices and my choices only! I must learn to be flexible at all times -- without allowing external stimuli to affect my peace of mind.
26) ...Being humble enough to realize that education, money, or positions of authority - never gives me the right to abuse, neglect, avoid or mistreat anybody (verbally or physically).
27) ...Mentally allowing the truth to resolve a problem, without needing any other person to admit that they were wrong or needing an apology.
28) ...Being free from needing anybody else’s affirmation or love, because when I drink from the source my “cup runneth over.”
29) ...Being free from having or needing to climb the world’s social ladder.
30) ...Accepting myself where I am, while continuing to grow (aware I can never become complacent).
31) ...Wearing my heart on my sleeve without being vulnerable.
Let Freedom Ring!
