Freedom

“Freedom!!!”

The courageous and determined roar from William Wallace echoes across the centuries, or at least in the way Mel Gibson portrayed the last moments of that Scottish hero.

Freedom. The word means different things to each of us. For those suffering with chronic or terminal diseases, we want “to be free of this cancer,” or of heart disease, or diabetes. We want to be back to the way we were before things happened to us – before life happened to us. But what does it mean to truly be free? Is there really such a state of being?

I came across some words by the author A.W. Tozer, written in the middle of the last century, and I’m going to paraphrase some of his thoughts on this matter.

The yellow gold-finch hopped around the floor of its small cage, cocking his head at different angles, peering at Jackie Brighton. The seven-year-old studied the bird, and nodded as it stretched its wounded left wing and flapped it a few times.

“I think he’s trying to tell you he’s almost healed.”

Jackie’s father had walked up behind the boy and was also closely watching the golden bird. His son had found the hapless creature lying in the back yard, it’s injured wing hanging limply by its side. It had tried to escape the outstretched hand of the freckle-faced youngster, but to no avail. Gently, Jackie had carried the bird into the house and to his father.

“Daddy, I need your help.”

His father had looked at the bird, shook his head, and was about to speak.

“Can we save him?” the boy pleaded.

A huge sigh, a quick trip to the pet store, and three long weeks had brought them to this point. The bird had somehow lived and its wing had almost healed.

Jackie stared at the cage and the young gold-finch, clearly conflicted.

“Do you think so Daddy? Do you think he’s really healed? I mean…maybe he’s not ready to fly and be let loose and…and…”

The older Brighton put his hand on his son’s shoulder. “Maybe tomorrow, or the day after. But we’ll need to be turning him loose. I’m sure he’s ready for his freedom.”

“You’re right daddy. And as much as I’ll miss him, I want him to be free. This is a pretty small cage he’s had to be in.”

His father glanced at the bird and then at his son.

Freedom. What did it really mean to be free?

“You’re right Jackie. This is a small cage, and when we turn him loose, he’ll be able to fly wherever he wants for as long as he wants. But you know what, he’s not going to be truly free, will he?”

The boy looked up at his father, his eyebrows knitted.

“Why not? He won’t be in the cage anymore?”

“No son, he won’t. Right now, he’s dependent on you to provide him with food and water, but when he’s on his own, he’ll still be dependent – not truly free. He’ll have to constantly be searching for something to eat, and for water, and for protection. He’ll still be dependent on a lot of things.”

They were silent for a moment, watching the yellow bird – and the bird watching them.

“I guess it’s just like me, daddy. I need you and momma for food and clothes and stuff, just like our bird.”

“You’re right Jackie, just like the bird. But you know, your momma and I are the same way. We depend on each other for a lot of things, and we depend on a lot of people for help. We don’t grow our own food, or sew our own clothes, or make our own medicine. None of us are truly independent. None of us are truly free, not really. But you know son, that’s not a bad thing. It’s the way the Lord created us, and the way he intended for us to live – to depend on each other, and to take care of each other. That’s real freedom Jackie. To accept that we can’t do it all ourselves, and that we need the help of other people. And they need our help too. But you know, we can’t do it all for them, either.

Jackie looked down at his bare feet. Slowly, his head began to nod and he looked up at his father.

The boy reached over to the birdcage and unfastened the small door.

“Daddy, I think it’s time.”

Freedom. With it comes great blessings — and greater responsibilities. We abuse it or fail to fully understand it at our own peril.

“Now the Lord is the Spirit,
and where the Spirit of the Lord is,
there is freedom.”

2 Corinthians 3:17