Overated Freedom
by Peggy Drinkard
iIn the “Reflections” section of our church bulletin yesterday there was a thoughtful meditation on the emptiness of “freedom” as it is popularly conceived….the notion of no responsibilities, no commitment, no debts to anyone, just free-floating through life. The pursuit of such freedom seems to be tauted today as the pinnacle of existence. Many people are willing to pour hours and life and energy into the pursuit of this illusive concept…working hard and making relational sacrifices of all kinds so that they can retire before 50 and be “free.” After reflecting on this since yesterday, by happy coincidence I read a poem this morning that spoke to the joyous antithesis to this notion…the sweet and pure freedom that issues into our lives once we are slaves to Christ. It reads:
As flame streams upward, so my longing thought
Flies up with Thee,
Thou God and Saviour, who hast truly wrought
Life out of death, and to us, loving, brought
A fresh, new world; and in Thy sweet chains caught,
And made us free!
Maurice Francis Egan
The further one goes in the Christian life, or so it seems to me, the more one realizes how often the mind and ways of God contradict those of our own. And how thankful I am for those sweet chains.
Posted by Peggy Drinkard at July 9, 2007 08:22 AM