Freedom

Wednesday 6/11/2014 6:29 AM

Today I read another excerpt from the book The Church, by Hans Küng, that made me think.  He writes, “Sinful man thinks he can find freedom by self-confidently controlling himself and his own life.  But he is warned that he can only win freedom by abdicating this control to another – not to men, who would reduce him to the rank of a slave, but to God, who will accept him as his child.  To be able to do what one wants is only the appearance of freedom; true freedom is to will what God does.”

In the United States there is constant talk about freedom.  We resent it when we think our freedoms are being taken from us, we honor those who have died to protect our freedom and our national anthem refers to our country as the land of the free.  The freedom we celebrate as a country is the freedom to do what we want, when we want.

What is the result of all of this freedom?  We live in an individualistic environment where my rights and freedoms are the most important.  There is little thought given to community or to how my individual freedom may negatively impact the greater good of the community.  Every individual or group of like-minded individuals insists their way of doing things is the right way and there is constant bickering and fighting between the conflicting fiefdoms.

If I will what God wills, then I live in accordance with Philippians 2:3-4. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interest of the others.”  If the whole world lived with this mindset and could carry it out there would not be bickering and fighting.  Instead there would be love and cooperation for the good of all.  That is the kind of freedom I would like.