Perhaps like never before, the democratic world is being pushed in a corner to define more precisely the limits of our so-called democratic freedoms. The latest international assaults have been on the freedom of speech, climaxing in the slaughter of many in Paris who defended to their deaths their right to free speech. Other targets have included the freedom of same-sex marriage, freedom to own guns, including assault rifles, and even freedom of our current U.S. President to use executive authority to help catalyze solutions and eventual laws to intractable/escalating social problems for which congress has demonstrated an inability to address.
“Freedoms, unlimited, unrestricted and unrestrained” -- from where did
this notion come? Is it one person's
‘freedom’ to trample the expectations and rights of others to be respected in a
civil manner? Is it ‘freedom’ itself
that threatens to dismantle the cordial boundaries and supposedly sure
foundations of our so-called "civil society?" To where has the ‘civil’ in our civil society
fled?
From Day 1, mankind
has relentlessly pursued ‘freedom from’, starting with God and everything
God-related. Over the ions of time, we
have dressed up this pursuit to be ‘freedom to’ and ‘freedom of’, but don’t be
fooled –
The root of our
pursuit
And the fruit of
this root
Shamefully remain
the same
Alas, true freedom itself is not free, but disciplined. Anything less is not freedom, but a devilish
invitation and temptation to eventual anarchy.
And that is exactly what satan and his crew want, and exactly what
sinfully-fallen mankind will get...anarchy.
This is the promise outlined in detail in The Book of Revelation. The good news is that the upcoming upheaval
in all world systems will both seed and usher in the birth of a new millennium
of Christ’s iron-hand rule of planet earth and it’s persistently stubborn
inhabitants, followed by an eternal age of peace.
Until then, the best advice I have found remains valid, even after a
couple of thousand years:
If it is possible, as much as depends on you,
live peaceably with all men.
(Romans 12:18)
In light of this admonition, rather than being 'Char-lie', by faith and
God’s Grace:
- Je suis Char-ity, which is Love (1 Corinthians 13)
- Je suis Char-acter, which is integrity demonstrated
- Je suis Char-med no more by, and un-chained from the shackles of unlimited, unrestricted and unrestrained freedoms
I invite you to decide who and what you are in this regard. If you agree with me, with Godly wisdom and
strength, we can fight to be free from being:
…‘Char-red’ in spirit on the hot coals of hate and intolerance
…‘Char-acterless’, devoid of the character traits of Father God
…‘Char-acterized’ as so freedom-loving that we care-less of others
Choose well...
and carefully
