Cyber Gleanings, November, 2006

Dear People of St. John’s,

     I have shared this story one time before with you and beg your indulgence and patience in using it again.  I do so in order to make a point.

      Once upon a time a boy asked his teacher, “When shall I at last be free?”

     “Free,” replied the teacher.  “Free as what?”

     “As free as the birds,” said the boy.

     “So be it,” said the wise teacher, and at once they became birds.

     “At last I’m free,” cried the boy.  “Free to soar and fly where I choose, when I choose.”

     “Not so,” replied the other birds.  “We must follow the wind, for if we stray too far in our migration, we will all die.”

     “This is not freedom,” cried the boy, following the flock over a forest.  “I want to be free.”

     “Free as what?” asked the teacher.

     Looking down at the forest, he saw monkeys frolicking in the bushes.  “Free as the monkeys to swing from tree to tree, from limb to limb, as I please, when I please.”

     “So be it,” said the teacher.  At once they became monkeys, swinging from limb to limb.

     “Now, at last, I’m free,” said the boy as he happily swung from tree to tree, chattering excitedly like happy monkeys do.

     “Not so,” said the monkeys.  “We must never stray too far or apart from one another, lest we become food for predators.  We have found our strength lies in our numbers.”

     “This is not freedom,” said the boy sadly.  “I want to be truly free.”

     “Free as what?” asked the teacher.

     “The lion is the king of the jungle,” said the boy.  “Free as the lions to roam where I please, when I please, and eat whatever and whenever I want.”

     “So be it,” said the teacher.  At once they were lions.

     “At last I’m free,” cried the boy, roaming the jungle and plains as the king of beasts.

     “Not so,” said the other lions.  “We must follow the herds or we will not eat.  Nor can we stray too far beyond our limits, or we will be prey for man who will display us as trophies.”

     “This is not freedom,” said the boy.  “I want to be truly free.”

     “Free as what?” asked the teacher.

     “Free as a grownup man to do what I please, when I please,” said the boy.

     “So be it,” said the teacher.  At once they were grownup men.

     “Now, for sure, I’m free,” said the boy turned to man.

     “Not so,” said the wife.  “There are chores to be done, children to be fed, responsibilities to be met, and obligations to family, community, and nation.”

     “This is not freedom,” said the boy.  “I want to be free.”

     “So be it,” said the wise teacher, and at once he became a boy again.

     I suspect that desire to be free is bound up in our DNA and finds its origin in the fact that we have been created in the image of God, without strings attached.  It is the misuse of freedom that causes us the most difficulty.  We very often find ourselves bound to something, some behavior, some addiction, some bad habit, or some abusive person because we have misused or applied our freedom in a manner that left God out of the equation.  We come to understand freedom when we see it in the broader context of life.  The Collect for Peace from the Daily Office says, “O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom.”  Serving God and the cause of God’s Kingdom in this world is the only way to be truly free.  Investing our time, talent, and treasure for the cause of God in the world allows us to know those moments of perfect freedom.  We do not reach those moments by being something or someone else.  We find that freedom in being who we are, just as God created us, and striving every day to remember to allow God to lead.

     I would submit that the same thing applies to our political, social, cultural, and economic life as well.  Allowing God to lead means we are not in control.  Following where God leads will, no doubt, mean we are surrounded by “all sorts and conditions of humanity.”  Some may look like us, may believe the way we do, may have the same dreams and goals.  Many will not look anything like us, will hold beliefs and opinions vastly different from ours, and may have dreams and goals we cannot understand.  Being part of that diverse crowd is where God wants us.  It is an amazing fellowship.

     We will soon be given the opportunity to exercise our right to vote on state issues and for those who will represent us on the national stage.  I believe with all my heart that it is part of our Christian responsibility to participate in the political process, especially through voting.  Many around the world do not have that right.  We work to change systems that do not allow people to participate directly in the decisions that affect them.  When people fail to participate in the political process, when people are disenfranchised for partisan reasons, when fraud and ballot manipulation cancels a citizen’s vote, or when lines are redrawn to make sure a particular party carries the majority democracy suffers.  I believe it is time for Christian people to stand and say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!  If we wish to be truly free we must be what we are…a Christian citizen.

                                                                      Peace,   

                                                                           Tom