As we head into the fourth of July holiday, I can’t help thinking of the quote first articulated by Walter Hitchcock “Freedom isn’t free.” As the mother of a Army soldier, I know full well what it means to watch your child go to places of unspeakable horrors for reasons you don’t fully understand but you know has something to do with national security. Often when we speak of national security we equate that with living in a country where we are allowed to live in freedom. I would certainly argue that some of us live more free and have more freedoms then other segments of the population.
In Galatians, Paul talks about us being set free by Christ. We are free from the worries of this world and we are free to love in a radical way. Some would say that we are free of our fear of death. But Christ grants us a freedom that we haven’t even considered- we are free to love our selves with the assurance that Christ loves us. So often loving ourselves is the hardest thing to do. Many of our soldiers come home unable to love themselves. They are asked to do things and witness things that hurt their souls. They return to business as usual in their homes and they can’t stop thinking about where they have been and what they have seen. For some they think that their actions as soldiers make them unlovable in the eyes of the very people they are fighting to protect.
So as you grill hot dogs, swim and watch fireworks this weekend, I ask you to remember what a gift freedom is. To thank the soldiers in your neighborhoods and local groceries stores for their sacrifice. For like Jesus gave us his ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, these men and women were willing to do the same.
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