WEDNESDAY WANDERINGS – 5/13/20

Today freedom mostly means freedom of choice! Ancient Hebrew has two different words for freedom: Chofesh and Cherut. Chofesh is more the modern American idea of freedom—freedom from restraints and freedom do, go and act as you please. One dictionary defines freedom as “the power to act, speak, or think without externally imposed restraints; immunity from obligation.” Ancient Israel used the word for a slave who was freed from being a slave and could make his or her own decisions. The Greek word eleutheria also has the same meaning as “freedom from restraint” at times but also carries the connotations of responsibility.
Today the meaning of freedom (liberty) depends on who is defining it. David Hackett Fischer said in “Liberty and Freedom”, “What made America free was not any single vision of liberty and freedom, but the interplay of many visions. Together, these many ideas made America more free than any one American ever was or wished to be.” In his book, “Albion’s Seed”, he says that America was settled by 4 regions of old England and that each group had its own idea of freedom, most of the time meaning that their group was free but did not extend their idea of freedom to others.
One of the greatest obstacles in the founding of America was to get the different groups to agree to the concept of freedom for all. Our founders were children of the Enlightenment with its emphasis on individualism. Jefferson, and others, struggled trying to get people to agree with the rights of those not like them and, to some degree, prevailed.
Jefferson said, “Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add ‘within the limits of the law’, because law is often but the tyrant’s will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual.” Franklin said, “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty or safety.”
The other ancient Hebrew word, cherut, has a much deeper meaning which has been mostly lost due to the Enlightenment and its individualistic thinking. It means that a person is free to do what he or she “ought” to do. It means that no matter what we are obligated to God, to our families, to our friends, to our country and to our church. It carries the connation of being free to live up to our responsibilities and obligations. We are free from those things that prevent us from being responsible to do what we “ought” to do.
Romans 8:16 defines it precisely, “You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.” We are free from the power of sin over us and free from all the burdens we carry around with us and have been freed to do the will of God—righteousness. Righteousness means to be in right relationships with God and with humans—to fulfill your duty towards others. Galatians 5:13-14 defines what it is we owe one another, “ For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
And, of course we have the Greatest Commandment given by the Lord Himself, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” And Jesus kicks it up a notch in John 13:34, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you.”
We Christians are free but we are free to do what we ought to do; to fulfill our obligations to God, our families, our friends, our neighbors and to every human being. So let me ask a question: Since we are free to do as we please and we live in a free country, is it OK to disregard the safety procedures for the Coronavirus because we are free to do so? As a Christian we are not free to do so because we are responsible for the safety of others. We are obligated to do what we ought to do. It is not right for our freedom to put others in jeopardy.
Remember, as a Christian we are free. But that does not mean, in any form, that we are free from our obligations to God, our parents, children, friends, neighbors, others and the Church. The world may define freedom as freedom to do as we please without regards for anyone else, but as Christians we must always do the loving thing because it is what we “ought” to do and waht God expects from us.
Please respond and let me know what you think! I love you!
Jim