Fifteenth of Year C
July 2010
I continue today what I was saying three weeks ago about how our religion - in our case Christianity - is supposed to bring us freedom and peace.
We saw how Jesus of Nazareth was insistent that he came to serve and that I should follow his example in this. Most of us look on being someone’s servant or being employed by someone as something that curtails our freedom.
So how can this be?
On the other hand there is nothing that curtails ones freedom as much as being married to someone you love. There is nothing that limits ones freedom as much and causes as much worry, as having a flock of beloved children. Yet in some way it gives you true freedom - freedom to love, to care for, to worry about, to forgive, to share with, to serve.
There is a great truth here if I can grasp it.
Lets examine the matter from another angle.
Let me start with myself. I am not, and I have never met anyone who is, totally comfortable with who they are, how they are, what they are. I have to continually compromise with what I am and how I am. Yet the more I can accept myself as I am, respect myself as I am, the freer I will be, the more at peace I will be within myself. This necessitates acceptance of the truth concerning my shortcomings and faults as well as gifts and strengths. No easy accomplishment.
This helps me to accept, tolerate and respect other people also, which enables me to live as a complete human being should live, and I repeat, to live as a complete human being should live.
This is what is required of all human beings irrespective of whether they be religious or atheists. Any human being who frequently fails to do this is regarded as lacking something and ends up ostracized or in jail.
Where religion comes in is that it gives me more compelling reasons for living as a complete human being. Religion convinces me that all human beings are created in the image and likeness of God and are therefore of immense value and all are children of the One God and therefore sisters and brothers. As such, all will inherit the Kingdom of God and will live there in the company of God our Father.
This is indeed powerful motivation for living together now, and treating each other now, as human beings should.
This is what Christianity does for us. This is the Good News brought to us by Jesus Christ. This sets me free to respect, forgive, help, comfort, love and serve, not only other people but myself also. This sets me free from the bonds of narrow self - interest. This sets me free from the pursuit of money, status and power.
Unfortunately for some, religion has been narrowed down to the scrupulous fulfilling of precepts and obligations which it is hoped will gain one Eternal Life. This is just another form of slavery to self - interest, hidden under the false cloak of religion.
So living in accordance with a proper understanding of our joint humanity, enlightened by the Good News brought to us by Jesus Christ, is the way to freedom and peace. Only in this way will I begin to understand the reasons for and the true value of what were once looked on as obligations and commandments. Now these are things I want to do. Now these are things I want to avoid as I gain more and more freedom to live as a complete human being, as a complete child of God.