The Big Pause: Freedom

Photo Credit: Luke Renoe

Maybe it’s because I was born into this life learning the hard lesson that freedom is not guaranteed.  I also learned from the same teacher that love is conditional; I’ve been un-learning this my whole life.

There has been a lot of talk about freedom the last few months; particularly about the freedoms being taken away from us, and the lack of freedom, and speculation about future freedoms to be taken away, and conspiracy theories about controlling freedoms…ad nauseam.

I’m seeing photos and posts of people in Paris celebrating their “freedom” when Paris wakes up a bit starting tomorrow.

This invited me reflect on how I feel about "freedom."

There is a certain personal freedom that no one can take from you or dictate.  I have felt this freedom the last few months, and it has filled me in the most beautiful ways.

We have Ghandi to thank for showing us that the mind cannot be contained, he’s the one who taught us that “freedom and slavery are mental states.”

I can see that it must be a scary place to be if you allow someone else to give or take your freedom.  Have you considered that there is a freedom beyond this that isn’t possible to be taken from you?  And that it is this freedom that allows you to transcend any man-made freedoms possible or “entitled” to you?

I’ve seen some beautiful acts of “freedom” during the pandemic as people realize what they do indeed control in their lives, and they focus on this and make it into something beautiful.  We have Anne Frank to thank for showing us what this kind of optimism looks and feels like.  None of us can imagine one day in her life, just thinking about it likely puts your struggle into perspective.

“Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.” - Anne Frank

Maybe it’s because I live in a foreign country as a visa-carrying non-citizen and I understand that I don’t have the same freedoms as the French, nor do I expect to.

I was also born into one of the last generations who had to work for everything they have.  Nothing was given to me; my college days were balanced with work-study and the loans I paid back to put myself through college took years.

And, I’m among the privileged.

On Friday, my thoughts of freedom turned to Ahmaud Arbery, and the United States: the South in particular.  I was reminded of my time in North Carolina as a young high school teacher more than twenty years ago (my heart just sank as I typed this…) and of the palpable racism that I felt with every “Yes, sir” and “Yes, ma’am.”  It was like time stood still there among the cotton fields that could tell of murderous days and great injustice: I felt it deeply.

When you think of freedom, do you think of those who have none based on the color of their skin?

It was here that I felt God the deepest; the churches in the South will always be my favorite.  As Alice Walker wrote, “Any God I ever felt in church, I brought in with me.  And I think all the other folks did too. They come to church to share God, not to find God.” and it was true, I felt God in every person and in every church and sharing His grace is exactly what happened there.

Faith and devotion are freedoms that can never be taken from you.

Let us be cautious with our celebrations of freedom, or our outrage of perceived lack of or control of freedom in these days that are likely teaching us what it might feel like to be someone on the planet who hasn’t ever felt the simple freedoms we take for granted.

This is a perfect opportunity to lean into empathy, to explore ways that you can serve, speak up, share your freedoms with someone who doesn’t have the privilege that you do.  Imagine if we all did this.

During this big pause I’ve seen the sleepy ones who are so focused on this outside freedom that they are missing the opportunity to connect with and expand their inner freedom.  I’ve seen the privileged wanting more freedom, oblivious to how fortunate they already are.  And I’ve also seen the empathy, compassion, creativity, and service that is happening too - these are freedoms that cannot be taken away from us.

“Some people could look at a mud puddle and see an ocean with ships.” - Zora Neale Hurston