Wednesday Word . . . Freedom
The function of freedom is to free someone else – Toni Morrison (Feb. 18, 1931 – Aug. 5, 2019)
I came across this quote yesterday morning while eating breakfast. As we are in the middle of Holy Week with the Triduum beginning tomorrow evening, my first thought went to Jesus. There are plenty of examples in Scripture claiming Jesus acted to free us from sin and death:
Acts 13:39 – by this Jesus everyone
who believes is set free [from their sins]
Rom. 8:21 – creation itself will be
set free from its bondage to decay
Gal. 1:4 – [Jesus] gave himself for
our sins to set us free from the present evil age
Rev. 1:5 – To [Jesus] who loves us
and freed us from our sins by his blood
There
are other examples both in Scripture and in the BCP where we hear that Jesus used
his freedom, giving himself up to death, to make us free by the power of his
resurrection. In other words, Jesus didn’t
use his freedom only for himself, he used his freedom to free others.
We should view freedom in the same way – that our freedom is to be used to free others. We didn’t do this during the age of slavery in the US. We didn’t do this when our government banned non-Christians from being elected. We didn’t do it when we moved Native Americans to reservations. We didn’t do it when we barred women and minorities from voting. We didn’t do it when we placed Japanese Americans in prison camps during WWII. We didn’t do it when we created red line neighborhoods designed to keep minorities out of certain areas. And the list goes on.
If we are going to be a truly free society, we cannot expect freedoms for me but not for thee. We must, like Jesus, use our freedom to ensure others have the same freedoms we enjoy.
As we move through Holy Week, the passion, crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Christ, may we work to ensure the freedoms we have are accessible to everyone.
Blessings,
**Stations of the Cross devotions are held every day in Holy Week at Noon at Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church. Today’s service will be livestreamed for those who are unable to attend in person. https://www.stlukesbuffalo.church/services
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