“Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.
"Freedom is not free," the Veterans told me when I served as a chaplain in the VA hospital. Nor is love, faith, or hope. Nothing worth value is free; even gifts freely given come with the demand that our lives be changed.
If your friend gives you a shirt, you should wear it; a novel, you should read it. Freedom must be exercised responsibly, with the intent of giving it to others. For freedom means nothing if it's not shared. We may enjoy freedom but we don't "take liberties."
The New Testament prophet, Zechariah, announcing the birth of John the Baptist and the coming Messiah, sang of our freedom to worship God "without fear, holy and righteous in his sight."
Martyrs like Saint Lawrence recognize the cost of faith, hope, love, and freedom. They exercise these gifts even in the face of deadly opposition. Where these gifts are poorly defined and badly practiced, many suppose they come easily and require no sacrifice. "I have my rights!" they declare, as if everyone should bow down and worship their privileges.
But the world has its own definitions and knows nothing of Lawrence's freedom. They do not hear his laughter when he dies at their hands. They see and smell only burnt flesh as the heavens open and he sees the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.
The Church today is challenged to practice our freedom to worship, and our freedom to dissent from the world's demands. We cannot honor the right to abortion; there is no such thing. We honor neither divorce nor gay marriage; they have no standing in God's presence. We find no second amendment in the scripture or tradition; it is a delusion, a dreadful threat to life and liberty.
We must teach our children the cost of freedom with stories of the martyrs, and show them our willingness to make extraordinary sacrifices.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.