The Tragedy of Too Much Freedom

- "We have to constantly be updated and calibrated in our Walk if we want to keep a fresh relationship with righteousness"- Pierre Johnson

I saw a video of a Arizona trucker and a young New Yorker go viral on the internet. It was a brutal beating the New Yorker received from the trucker. I haven't seen anything like that in a long time. Perhaps it is my age and my progressive walk with Christ, that gave me pause. I don't know. Whether the fact that it was two against one or big against small,  I do know I was disturb by it on so many levels. The main level of my disturbance was at the casual manner it was filmed and observed by onlookers. No one stepped in and no one tried to make peace. One man nearly committed manslaughter while his so-called friends looked on and cheered. Two precious lives could have been destroyed over foolish pride. The victim's life will definitely not be the same. His defeat has been plastered all over the internet. This brought to mind Proverbs 1: 10-18

My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. If they say, "Let us lie in wait to shed blood, let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause....we shall fill our house with spoils. Cast in your lot among us.....My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your foot from their path. For their feet do evil. And they make haste to shed blood. Surely in vain the net is spread....But they lie in wait for their own blood"

This world is chalked full of so many so-called "freedoms". Secret freedom to tweet what you want and videotape who you want. People are free to hide their racism, sexism, sarcasm and social ineptitude behind chat room talk and memes. There are public freedoms. Freedom to instigate riots and divide communities, freedom to degrade our leadership, our country and ourselves.

We poke fun of victims and praise the cowardice of bullies and perpetrators. We have the freedom to express so many opinions that we have lost all need for facts and all capacity for moral compassion. Perverse men brag that: "Ya'll respect the one that got shot. I respect the shooter". People, this should not be!!! Would we make memes of Martin Luther King laying wasted on a balcony floor and print t-shirts glorifying James Earl Ray as an original gangster? I hope not!

Even our children are freer to roam larger territories away from the watchful eye of guardians by way of social media. Regrettably, some even wander freely into chat rooms where waiting predators befriend them and lead them away captive through molestation or exploitation. They have the history of the world in their hands to discover and obtain pertinent information at the speed of 4G, but somehow remain as ignorant as ever to the deep things of the world. These children are being filled with trivial news feeds thus lacking the understanding of politics or spiritual matters that could mode them into the life changers of tomorrow.

Young Americans are being filled with trivial matters, lacking understanding of politics

Some separation and boundary must exist to sustain civility and retain morality. I view far too many Americans acting and busying themselves in foolish dress, conversation and philosophical cliche. What was once done in the dark is now on the web or cast as a topic on a television talk show.We have become far too amused by social issues like single parent teens, murder and relational instability. This is done not as an attempt to solve these problems more so than it is an attempt to capitalize financially off of them by glamorize the participants and excusing it as "reality" television. People subliminally like to see others fail because it deflects from the spotlight of their own personal shortcomings. As our society could use a broader moral compass so that we cease to navigate our minds and hearts towards such foolish and unprofitable things.

The Holy Scriptures implores us to "guard our hearts, for everything you do flows from it" (Proverbs 4:23). The foolishness in us allows us to places ourselves in high regard. A common personal description you hear or read declared by someone is that: "I am a good person". How conceited and inaccurate this is!! All of us could find major flaws in ourselves. If we really love ourselves as we profess, an inventory of our works and deeds is in order. Have you taken revenge or were you strong enough to forgive? Have you zealously assisted the downtrodden or have you walked over them in disgust? If we were to judge ourselves as we judge other we would be ashamed and embarrassed.

But, we don't have to reflect on ourselves, do we? Who has time for self-assessment when every website has a poll to take or a page to comment on about someone else? We are so free to judge the world that we have lost the freedom and desire of self improvement. This has lead us to be captive to our own desires and addictions unable to correct them and unwilling to review them. Could it be that collective despair and degradation in society is the result of the individual's lack of self-correct and examine? (Galatians 5:9).

We would all do well to temper ourselves and what we allow into our hearts and minds. We are an acquired species. Everything that we are is acquired. Our prejudices and fears and our success is based on the life experiences and relationships that mold and shape our beliefs. The tragedy of too much freedom is that it isn't free. To echo the words of my father: "Free stuff can cost to much"!! Moreover, it is not really freedom at all to be captivated by covetousness, violence and immorality. To have our thoughts programmed and manipulated by the illusion of cinema or the allure of consumables is SLAVERY!

The best exercise of freedom is to free ourselves from ourselves. We must create God-like boundaries in our lives, placing only that which is pure, loving, gentle, kind, praise worthy and of good report in our presents, so that you may live empowered with joy, faith and a peace that surpasses all human understanding (Philippians 4:8). Only then will you be totally free!!