You my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But, do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. (Galatians 5:13, NIV)
I write this blog on the 4th of July 2019. It is the day that recognizes the declaration of independence of the USA from the British monarch in 1776. This is celebrated with much pomp and celebration.
Human beings were created to be free. Sadly, in the history of humanity, kings and despots, usually regarded as gods, have always enslaved other human beings. The latter were abused with horrible forms of injustice.
In the Hebrew Bible, the exodus community is always reminded to remember that they were slaves in Egypt. They were forced to worship Pharaoh and the Egyptian pantheon of gods. Therefore, the Torah warned them never allowed to enslave other human beings. In order to make sure, the newly freed people are told, that they must always practice a sabbatical year. This is year in which all debt was supposed to be forgiven (Deuteronomy 15). There was not supposed to be any poverty among the people, because people- everyone, was supposed to be free. This was political freedom, economic freedom, social freedom, psychological freedom- freedom in every area of life.
Sadly, later in history, Jeremiah the prophet mourns the fact that the people of God did not observe this crucial God-given human right- to be free (Jeremiah 34). He declares that if they do not consider human rights and environmental rights, as the core status of society, then the land itself will vomit them out, according to the Torah, Leviticus 25:18.
The last book of the Hebrew Bible is Chronicles. It declares that the people of God were driven out of the land, because they enslaved fellow human beings and God’s good land. Therefore, “the land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfilment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah” (2 Chronicles 36:11-14, 21).
Jesus and the apostles, in the New Testament, always underline this core teaching of the Torah. Jesus says to the Sadducees and the Pharisees, “You are doing to me what your ancestors did to Jeremiah and the prophets. However `If you hold to my Torah, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’ (John 8:31-32).”
Paul the Apostle warns the early Church not to repeat the unjust practices of the people of Jeremiah’s days. He writes, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But, do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love” (Galatians 5:13, NIV). The antidote to the problem of slavery and injustice, in history, is counterintuitive. True freedom is when people serve each other and God’s good creation, in love.
May we serve each other, and serve God’s good creation, in love.
Blessed Day of Freedom, my friends!
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