How To Be Free
Happy 4th.
. . . and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
John 8:32 (ESV)
We mistakenly think that we are a free society and that this means we can do anything we want. We can shoot fireworks for example because we are free to do so — except where it is prohibited.
I’m not advocating for leaner fireworks laws by any means. In fact this example goes to a principle about the important limitation of personal liberty. We are not free to harm others by our exercise of freedom. There must, therefore, be the implementation of rules of conduct to give most people the ability to exercise important freedoms, but not at the expense of others.
One of the greatest sacrifices to freedom is imposed on those who volunteer to join the military. For their time in service they voluntarily lay down many important rights. For example, they have greater restrictions on their ability to speak publicly, even when off duty. They cannot campaign for political parties, for example, because there is an optics problem. It can appear that the military is not neural in the area of politics.
Now you might fairly point out that it appears the military recently has crossed a few lines — that in fact it has gone Woke.
The truth, I believe, is actually the opposite. The US military, as the servant of the civilian run government, is often forced to follow orders that go against sound judgment. This is because it has relinquished important aspects of its own right to think in order to effectively follow orders. When it does not do this, as happens in many countries around the world, the military can decide it’s a good idea to seize power. This then results in a greater destruction of liberty for the general population.
All of this to say, on this holiday commemorating our nation’s freedom from England, that liberty is fragile. Yes, it is passed down, but it is easily lost unless every generation claims it and fights for it through the established democratic processes they were blessed to inherit.
Our military brethren are willing to lay down their lives for this nation’s liberty, but this isn’t enough. Those not in the military, the vast majority, also have critical responsibilities. Here are a few.
To learn this country’s history and governmental structure.
To stay informed on human events from multiple sources. If you only know one side of an argument, you can’t understand problems well enough to make informed decisions.
To vote.
To speak out and support causes and candidates that align with your beliefs.
To love your family and friends. Don’t allow politics to sever (as much as within your own control) relationships with those you love and care about.
To pray. We need the power of God to override the hubris of elected and unelected officials.
To celebrate. Every holiday is an opportunity to remember what we love about this land in spite of weaknesses and shortcomings. Also, having barbecues and parades bring people together and hopefully remind us we have more in common than any and all of our differences.
Next post will be July 6 at the regular time.