Tuesday, May 27, 2003
I hear the word freedom tossed around today not like a frizbee which takes some understanding and respect for the nature of the object, but tossed like an egg that is bound to break in your hands because you haven't considered its fragile nature. Here's the start to an article on the nature of freedom....
In 1969 nearly half a million young people gathered at Yasgur’s farm in upstate New York for three days of music, peaceful communal living, and freedom to do as they pleased. Many of those freedom seekers were raised in Christian homes where songs of praise, and words of peace, love, and free will would have been part of their daily lives, or at least spoken on Sundays. At this gathering, however, the atmosphere swelled with an anti-government sentiment, a radical “hippies make-love-not-war” consciousness, and an energy aimed at breaking loose from the ties of the establishment. Freedom took the Woodstock stage when Richie Havens immortalized it in an impromptu song. The freedom of the moment promised happiness for each individual and offered equality for all without the burden of boundaries. This new voice of freedom, with slogans like “If it feels good, do it,” had been growing in America long before the Woodstock generation was born. When the Woodstock music ended after three days, the freedom rage continued and lives on today not just in America, but around the world. The 21st century cry for Operation Enduring Freedom begs us to take a closer look at what freedom truly means.
Deep within the human spirit is an understanding of the precious nature of freedom. In the U.S., our forebears spoke of freedom as an inalienable right. We must be careful not to confuse the worldly idea of freedom, as in making our own decisions without restraint, with the sense of true freedom that is inherent in our humanness, intimately connecting us to our creator, God. Like the Woodstock palmers, early Christians gathered in large communities to celebrate peace, love, and freedom. In the letter to the Galatian community,
we hear St. Paul’s counsel, “For you were called for freedom, brothers. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love” (Gal 5:13). Paul, writing to them in Greek, knew that the Galatians would not misinterpret what he meant by “” (freedom--blogger doesn't support Greek font).
In 1969 nearly half a million young people gathered at Yasgur’s farm in upstate New York for three days of music, peaceful communal living, and freedom to do as they pleased. Many of those freedom seekers were raised in Christian homes where songs of praise, and words of peace, love, and free will would have been part of their daily lives, or at least spoken on Sundays. At this gathering, however, the atmosphere swelled with an anti-government sentiment, a radical “hippies make-love-not-war” consciousness, and an energy aimed at breaking loose from the ties of the establishment. Freedom took the Woodstock stage when Richie Havens immortalized it in an impromptu song. The freedom of the moment promised happiness for each individual and offered equality for all without the burden of boundaries. This new voice of freedom, with slogans like “If it feels good, do it,” had been growing in America long before the Woodstock generation was born. When the Woodstock music ended after three days, the freedom rage continued and lives on today not just in America, but around the world. The 21st century cry for Operation Enduring Freedom begs us to take a closer look at what freedom truly means.
Deep within the human spirit is an understanding of the precious nature of freedom. In the U.S., our forebears spoke of freedom as an inalienable right. We must be careful not to confuse the worldly idea of freedom, as in making our own decisions without restraint, with the sense of true freedom that is inherent in our humanness, intimately connecting us to our creator, God. Like the Woodstock palmers, early Christians gathered in large communities to celebrate peace, love, and freedom. In the letter to the Galatian community,
we hear St. Paul’s counsel, “For you were called for freedom, brothers. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love” (Gal 5:13). Paul, writing to them in Greek, knew that the Galatians would not misinterpret what he meant by “” (freedom--blogger doesn't support Greek font).
