Freedom to be Free

In reflecting this 4th of July week, the idea of freedom continues to emerge in thought and conversation.  The United States finds herself experiencing a unique form of freedom and leadership due to generations of struggle, escape from tyranny, and the desire to taste freedom in any form.  While I am so very thankful to have known nothing other than this freedom in my lifetime, I have often wondered at what I have read, seen on television, or heard retold from the mouths of refugees who for much of their lives had never known this way of living existed.  So many people from my grandparents generation lived through grisly times, from the holocaust to communism.  

My husband and I just finished watching the Showtime series 'The Tudors'  chronicling the life of King Henry VIII and as we watched we both wondered at the helplessness of the subjects under the King's rule; many of whom ended up a head shorter for any disagreement or dissension at all.  King Henry believed that he was appointed by God and to disobey him was to disobey God.  Obeying Henry was a very hard task however, considering that he often changed his mind, his wives, his closest servants, the laws of the country, the religion, and even that which was just and unjust.  

My reflection turned to Biblical history, in which the people of God often petitioned to be ruled rather than to be free.  In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve rejected God as their authority and desired instead to have knowledge of good and evil to rule themselves.  From the time of the banishment from Eden, man has ironically sought to be ruled.  In Numbers 14 the people reject Moses as their leader and plan to elect a new leader so that they can go back to Egypt and be slaves once more.  In 1 Samuel 8, the people reject God as their King and petition Samuel to anoint an earthly King.  Samuel first warned the people of what an earthly King would mean: “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.” (1 Sam 10-18).  Still, the people chose Saul.  

Thus in reflecting it appears that in man's fallen nature he will always desire to be ruled rather then to be free.  Perhaps this is born of fear, of man's nature to follow, of the comforts and security of a Kingdom rather than hacking it out in a wild frontier.  As well, man desires to be ruled by a leader he can see; a Saul rather than an unfathomable and infinite Lord.  

For these reasons it is so very unique when glimpses of freedom arise as blips on the timeline of human history.  They are the great tales of the Bravehearts who stand out among millions of cowards.  The Freedom to be Free is a great treasure that I have known in my lifetime in this country.  Not all of those who have come before me have experienced this and I have no guarantee that those who come after me will experience it either, but for whatever reason God has placed me here on this blip of the timeline of human history and I am truly thankful to be reflecting freely as such.