FREEDOM

In honor of February being Black Heritage Month, I've been reading the autobiography of Frederick Douglass.  His vivid descriptions of the horrors of slavery laid the vital background for communicating just how precious freedom was to him.

Not only did he endure the physical and psychological cruelty of his various masters, but he lived the early part of his life knowing that he was a "slave for life," with a sense of hopelessness that his destiny would ever be different.  Yet, he pursued freedom with great discipline, learning to read and write and educating himself, with a dream that one day he might be a free man.

As we know, he eventually did gain freedom and went on to be a great influence in the anti-slavery movement leading up to the civil war and beyond  He used his freedom, not just for his own benefit, but for the cause of bringing an end to the institution of slavery in our country.

His life story has inspired me to think about freedom and to question how we who live in freedom interpret its meaning.

I've heard people say, "My goal in life is freedom!"  My immediate thought is, "Freedom from what?"  As I've listened to their comments, I've realized that what they mean is they want freedom from the restraints of other people.  They don't want to be captive to other people's schedules, demands, or even perhaps their needs.

When I was teaching school and speaking to a student about his misconduct, I was surprised by his disrespectful and cocky comment, "This is a free country!"  He thought he could do whatever he wanted and no one had the right to make him do anything different.  His definition of freedom was that he didn't have to obey the rules!  We see this philosophy lived out every day in our society.

I've also heard people define freedom as "having the liberty to be the master of one's own destiny."  In essence they're saying that freedom is being free from God -- free from the guilt that they sense when they acknowledge there is a God -- free to live life for their own self-gratification, be it wealth, fame, love, success, or even philanthropic or humanitarian works done for their own sense of self-worth and significance.

In essence, all of these people define "freedom" to mean that they can do whatever they want without any accountability or guilt attached to their actions.  

I found it interesting that in his journey toward freedom, Mr. Douglass had a different perspective.  He not only found freedom from the bondage of slavery, but also spiritual freedom from the bondage of "self."  In his book My Bondage and My Freedom, after being told about his need to be reconciled to God, he states, "I cannot say that I had a very distinct notion of what was required of me; but one thing I knew very well -- I was wretched, and had no means of making myself otherwise...I was, for weeks, a poor, broken-hearted mourner, traveling through the darkness and misery of doubts and fears.  I finally found that change of heart which comes by 'casting all one's care' upon God, and by having faith in Jesus Christ, as the Redeemer, Friend, and Savior of those who diligently seek Him.  After this, I saw the world in the new light.  I seemed to live in a new world, surrounded by new objects, and to be animated by new hopes and desires."  (chapter 12)

And so, Fredrick Douglass, in the midst of his yearning for freedom from slavery, encountered the Living God and was granted a far greater freedom -- spiritual freedom.  This not only brought him strength in the midst of the great sorrow and trials of slavery, but it shaped his life as a free man as well.