It’s our nation’s 235th birthday today (depending on how one reckons it). How are you celebrating?
This year, I’m reflecting on what freedom really means.
Recently, I’ve been reading through C. S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia with my kids. I’ve also been listening to the Radio Theater productions to make my workouts less dull. (Yes, feel free to make fun of me.) As I was listening, a part toward the beginning of The Last Battle grabbed my attention. I won’t ruin the story for those of you who have never read it, but I will give a little background. The story begins with a nasty little Talking Ape named Shift, who dresses his Donkey pal up in a lion skin to pose as Aslan (the real Lion, who is the representation of Jesus in the stories). Shift has convinced the Talking Animals of Narnia that “Aslan” wants them to be enslaved by the people of the neighboring country. He tells the animals that they believe freedom is doing whatever they want, when it’s really doing the bidding of this false Aslan that has been set up to rule them. Shift has convinced the animals that slavery is equivalent to “real” freedom.
Sometimes, we set ourselves up as gods. This can be particularly true in some churches. Church leaders may have members convinced that true freedom is obedience to the will of the church and that the will of the church is exactly the same as the will of God. Churches, as any organization, ought to have rules to govern themselves, especially if they are large. But those rules of effective operation should never be confused with God’s sovereignty. We might hope to have our rules based on God’s authority, but we are, after all, only human. We cannot create a perfect system.
I am going to trust in the freedom I have found through my faith in Jesus. I don’t feel constrained by religious law, I feel set free by the love of God. As I celebrate my constitutional freedom, I will also celebrate my spiritual freedom.
