Freedom’s Just Another Word for Nothing Left to Lose
Galatians 5:1
Freedom has always been a big word in our national psyche. As Americans, we take pride in the many liberties we believe we have. As Christians, this has also been a heavy, foundational concept. Freedom lies at the heart of Paul’s letter to the churches in Galatia. For our sermon this past Sunday in our Sanctuary service, we wrestled with the very difficult, controversial impacts of being both devotedly Christian and passionately American.
The Marketplace: Our free enterprise system relies upon a can-do spirit and the freedom to compete. Industries and business owners want the freedom to innovate, to expand and create new products. And for our system to work, we all need and expect a level playing field with mutually agreed upon rules.
We also need to know the actual nature of things. Truth and honesty are prerequisites for a fair marketplace. So for freedom to work properly, clarity of purpose, clear guidelines and full participation in the agreed upon rules remains essential.
The Problem: Sadly, our agreed-upon system is in crisis. As in a marketplace, our civic discourse necessitates at least a modicum of mutual respect. Trust in a system and those participating in it further requires a common commitment to decency. Freedom becomes chaos if personal agendas overwhelm individual rights.
These are trying times. Increasing numbers of us grow more discouraged, even cynical, by the day. Just as there were in Paul’s day, members of our communities spread untruths, disseminate rumors, manipulate facts, conjure fear. The result in Galatia was a large group of troubled congregations eerily similar to our national dysfunction.
The Solution: In his letter to the Galatians, Paul offers a clear conclusion. His antidote for them, suffering mightily from mistrust, anger, dissention and mutual disdain? Freedom in Christ. This was a freedom of fulfilled law and prophetic hope in Jesus:
To love your neighbor as you love yourself.
To bear one another’s burdens.
To work for the good of all.
This is truly hard. It’s also the only and best remedy remaining for our troubled world. Let’s get to work!
Love,
David
David Jordan
Senior Pastor