The Tragedy of Freedom

What is it you think of when you hear the word "freedom?" Aside, I mean, from the American idea of freedom enshrined in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Perhaps it is the absence of responsibility or restraint; being able to do whatever you want to do, whenever you want to do it.

The Christian view of freedom is of course, much different. One of my favorite analogies is the picture of a ball-field on top of a high mountain. Surrounding the field are jagged and dangerous rocks many feet below, and a raging sea around them. The boys on the field are given a ball and told to play. Free from rules or boundaries, the play is timid at best. The chance that the ball or one of the boys will be lost. Only when a fence is put around the mountain top and some rules applied can the boys enjoy the game.

The Christian knows, or should, that true freedom comes not in giving free reign to the appetites and desires of his heart, but rather to tame them and focus them to right ends. Obedience and self-discipline is the way to true freedom.

Two examples this week of what unrestrained freedom can lead to. I know, i know its almost yesterdays news by now but still...

First in the tragic figure that was Michael Jackson. With talent and creativity to spare he had everything but someone to tell him "no." Growing up with money to burn he indulged every desire, every whim.

"...But he had no compass to find one; no real friends to support and advise him; and money and fame imprisoned him in the delusions of narcissism and self-indulgence. Of course, he bears responsibility for his bizarre life. But the damage done to him by his own family and then by all those motivated more by money and power than by faith and love was irreparable in the end. He died a while ago. He remained for so long a walking human shell. ..." Andrew Sullivan at Theologica

Justin Taylor at the same site, has this to say: (h/t mere comments)

He is dead at the age of 50. He had everything the world offered--but no Jesus.
I remember once looking at the liner notes from an album of his, and he quoted the final lines from William Ernest Henley's famous poem, Invictus:

I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

Those are not the words you want written on your tombstone.

It is hard to think of a sadder public figure in recent years. A black man who never found his identity as one created in God's image, and who never experienced the identity of being conformed to the image of Christ. Black and white, male and female, rich and bankrupt, genius and punchline, private and public, innocent and deceptive--everything seemed to be jumbled up.The one thing that comes to mind about Jackson is how bad he was at hiding his brokenness. Even while living in a literal fantasy land, it was obvious to everyone that this was a person--enormously gifted--desperately seeking a mask to cover, in futility, who he was.May God use even this to increase our compassion and ministry to the lost, broken, and confused.

The second example is equally tragic, that being Governor Mark Sanford. So blinded by his own selfishness and self serving desire as to throw away a marriage and do untold damage to his sons. By the sound of the e-mails he was dealing with a woman who might have been having her own issues as she mentions in their e-mails, that she may need therapy. A decent man would never have crossed the line, much less with a woman who was having emotional difficulties at the time. Yes, I read the e-mails, to seek out the motivations and to gain some insight, not for prurient reasons. But what I found was the face of sin. How it sullies high emotions and feelings such as love and respect and how it uses scripture to justify it's own way.

I speak from experience, when I was 25 and single and far away from home I met a woman, a married woman, 10 years my senior, at a party. Her husband was not there and we, "hit it off", one might say. It turned out, that the husband was in the Mediterranean having his own affair. I made every mistake that the good Governor made except that I was not married. But she was. And it made no difference that the marriage was already in trouble, the truth is, I assisted in its demise. I know how sin muddles your vision. I know how sin intoxicates and justifies.

Years later while half-heartedly confessing this sorry incident to a friend, I tried to rationalize it away by saying it all worked out for the best in the end, since the marriage was already in trouble and that I "comforted" her in a time of need.

The friend listened patiently and when I was done said simply, "What you said was interesting but it didn't require the Gospel to say it."

I was struck to the core. Thank God for that. If it doesn't take the Gospel to say it, there's nothing particularly "Christian" about it. Likewise, if we find our freedom in any place but through obedience to Christ, we are but the most pathetic of slaves.

Self Evident Truths' Snarky Files

Over at Self Evident Truths, Euripides has started a new feature called the Snarky Files. It's good fun and a good read on the latest headlines from a fellow, self described "curmudgeon". Euripides is fast becoming one of the top 10 bloggers I'd like to have a beer with. I can relate to his outlook as my wife said (when I had appendicitis) that she could tell I was sick because, as she lovingly pointed out, "you're always cranky, you were just cranky in a different way." But I digress.

good stuff over there and a good conversation starter. Rather than hijack his comments section I've included a bit of his list here with some comments:

Babies

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics released statistics that show that single mother birth rate is on the rise. Anti-male and anti-family feminism is taking its toll. The institution of the family is decaying before our eyes. Startling is that nearly 40% of total births are to single moms. Shameful is the statistic of 71.6 percent of black babies and 51.3 percent of Hispanic babies born to unwed mothers. Where are the dads and what's happened to the responsibility of fatherhood? Isn't anyone else alarmed by these numbers? Children have a right to be raised by a mother and a father.

Over at the Washington Times there is a good article on this issue, specifically the executive order creating the White House Council on Women and Girls. Marybeth Hicks says that
what we really need is a White House Council on Men and Boys:

If Mr. Obama wanted to actually do something significant for American's women and girls, he would have created instead a White House Council on Men and Boys....

... A council on men and boys would promote stable marriage as the best avenue to improve the lives and living conditions of America's women and families. A council on men and boys would address the crisis in American manhood that results in the scourge of infidelity, divorce, lack of commitment and fatherhood with multiple partners.

A council on men and boys would seek to eliminate the objectification of women in the media. It would battle our hypersexual culture by fighting against the “hook-up” mentality that defines the way in which young men view young women. And most importantly, it would stamp out the violence against women that emanates from men's widespread exposure and growing addiction to pornography.

Such a council would work to train a new generation of boys to become real men, who honor and uphold women as equals in the workplace, the community and the home - not because the government regulates such an attitude, but because it's right.

A council on men and boys also would address the underlying problems that create “women's issues” such as child care, inadequate pay and domestic violence. These aren't “women's issues,” but issues related to the systemic collapse of the American family. ...(more)

Of course a feminist agenda that seeks to make women the same and not just equal is an important discussion as well. One I'm sure the Council will not address...

One more from the list:

Epidemic

The US capital struggles with an increasing AIDS epidemic. Why-oh-why is there a continuing epidemic of AIDS in cities such as DC (30.5 per 100,000), Miami (33.1 per 100,000), Baltimore (29.6 per 100,000), New York (27.1 per 100,000), or San Franscisco (26 per 100,000)? And why is the epidemic so prevalent among blacks (76% of total DC infections) and gays (37% of total DC infections)? Beats me since everyone keeps assuring me that AIDS is not related.

The cluster of AIDS in the urban centers reminds me of one of the most convincing arguments against the claim that homosexuality is genetic in nature. If it were genetic in nature (and no study has ever said that conclusively then we should expect it to be equally spread amongst the population. (like blue eyes for example)

But its not. It too, clusters around the urban areas where the laise fare attitude toward sexuality specifically and morality in general is more common.

Anyway, check the rest of the list out over there.