FREEDOM

It is Independence Day (if you live in the United States) today.

Whether or not you're a hugely patriotic or nationalistic person, you're probably at least excited to have the day off work.

If you don't have the day off, let me say "Thank you!!" for working on a holiday

and I hope you get time-and-a-half ;)

At church this past weekend (side note: I'm not about to get preachy, so please read on) the priest brought up a fantastic point regarding freedom.

He said (I'm paraphrasing here), "We spend so much focusing on what we're free from (slavery, oppression, etc.), but often fail to ask the question, 'what am I free for?'"

What am I free for?

What use is freedom if we don't use it?

In the context of his message on Sunday, (this part is going to get a little more religious, but if you can appreciate a big-picture message, read on) Jesus was explaining to his disciples that the old (Hebrew) laws didn't hold power anymore.  There was a new covenant and a new (much simpler) message:

Love.

That's it.

Freedom from all the laws and restrictions and do's and do-not's for the purpose of loving one another.

To bring this full circle (and truly take the opportunity to offend everyone), whatever judgments people hold in the name of the "laws" of the Bible should be cast aside in favor of love.

In California last week, gay marriage was reinstated.

To anyone who thinks this is an insult to "holy matrimony", I'd point to the greater message:

Love.

That's it.

We are free from judgment for the purpose of loving one another.

And this Independence Day, I am so proud to be part of a country that (at least for one moment on one day) chose love as law.

Hope everyone has a safe, beautiful, love-filled holiday.

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