None of Us Are Free
Reflections on World Freedom?Day
I just realized that it is World Freedom Day.
See the President’s Proclamation embedded at the end of this post.
This is a day of reminders for leaders and followers, for citizens of the world.
Theoretically, we participate by reaffirming our commitment to freedom for all people everywhere.
Leaders are rare. I mean real leaders, who, for the right cause, get out front and remind people with their lives, examples, and words, to do what is right in the world
It is a great time to ask the question of whether or not we value other people’s freedom as much as we do our own? Are we willing to sacrifice for their freedom, work for it, and advocate for it?
Are we willing to tell the truth for it, the truth about our times and history?
“None of us are free until all of us are free.”
This is a modern paraphrase of a quote by 19th century Jewish American activist and poet Emma Lazarus.
The Gospel of the Kingdom, as proclaimed by Jesus, is one of liberation from sin, oppression, guilt, despair, and all forms of bondage.
The world has always been indifferent and hostile to the values of those who center their core convictions in the prophetic and merciful Word of God.
That will continue and so will our mandate to speak truth to power, stand with the oppressed, be misunderstood, be in a minority, and be faithful to truth.
No political system represents us.
We are sojourners.
We are peculiar people.
We pray for our leaders and pray with hope that hearts and policies can be shaped by truth. We also must hold every system accountable for justice in unpopular causes and for marginalized people who are mistrusted and hated. Whoever you supported leading up to yesterday, you have a big job ahead if you will truly follow Jesus in the areas of His biases?—?to pray?—?act- speak?—?and sometimes resist.
Our King is in the midst and He is King. “God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment: ‘How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah
Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.’” -Psalm 82:1–4
Negative Example
On this day in 698, The Seventeenth Council of Toledo first met under Visigothic King Egica. Egica brought together two strains of hatred and distrust. On one hand, there was the threat of Islam’s expansion and on the other, his intense dislike and distrust of Jews. He confiscated their property and made Jews the slaves of Christian slaves and, essentially, outlawed the practice of Judaism.
When you can convince people they are threatened by a group, you can persuade them to become the threat.
So, they took and existing hatred and built upon it. Two people group targets for the price of one.
Take a cup of hatred.
Add two cups of fear.
Sprinkle in two tablespoons of suspicion and
An ounce of all-purpose blame.
Season with bitterness and ignorance.
Mix well and stir up the crowds.
Bake at 10,000 degrees for as long as it takes.
Name it something that sounds noble.
Invite the crowd.
Read More
694 C.E.: Seventeenth Council of Toledo opens The council was largely focused on the punishment and persecution of the kingdom's Jews. www.haaretz.com
Call to?Love
We cannot love our neighbors as ourselves if we refuse to take the effort to see the world through our neighbors’ eyes or try to imagine life in his or her skin.
We cannot love our neighbor without learning to sing the songs of lament and the entire book of Lamentations.
We cannot love our neighbor by telling him or her what he or she should be or not be feeling.
We cannot love our neighbor without tears. We cannot love our neighbor by having an answer for every word our neighbor speaks in fear or frustration.
We love our neighbor more with our ears than our words.
When we do use words, we love our neighbor more by what we speak on behalf of our neighbor than what we say to that neighbor.
We cannot love our neighbor by taking our scripts from Job’s friends and having all the trite answers organized and ready to spout.
We cannot love our neighbor without working at it and putting aside our own interests and opinions long enough to understand.
We cannot love our neighbor while belittling our neighbor. And?… we cannot love God without loving our neighbor.
Positive Example
On this day in 1851?—?Kentucky marshals abduct abolitionist minister Calvin Fairbank from Jeffersonville, Indiana, and take him to Kentucky to stand trial for helping a slave escape.
Calvin Fairbank, a Methodist minister, served 19 years, total, in the Kentucky State Penitentiary, after two convictions of helping slaves escape. In total, he is credited with aiding in the escape of 47 slaves.?.
Fairbank was reported to have received 35,000 lashes in prison floggings while in prison.
At one point, he met future Congressman, Lewis Hayden and his family, who were planning an escape.
He asked Hayden, “Why do you want your freedom?”
Hayden responded, “Because I am a man.”
Hayden and others, freed by the efforts of Fairbank and others, went on the accomplish great things for humanity and the cause of liberty.
Further Research
Underground Railroad Indiana! Calvin Fairbank Because Calvin Fairbank was arrested in Jeffersonville, Indiana, he is considered worthy of mention in Indiana history… web.archive.org
Levi Coffin, 1798-1877. Reminiscences of Levi Coffin, the Reputed President of the Underground… Reminiscences of Levi Coffin, the Reputed President of the Underground Railroad; Being a Brief History of the Labors of… docsouth.unc.edu
KET's Underground Railroad - Anti-Slavery Prisoners in the Kentucky State Penitentiary Companion Web site to KET's documentary on the Underground Railroad in Kentucky. web.archive.org
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.”?—?Proverbs 31:8, NIV
This is also an anniversary. On this day in 1938 ?—?Kristallnacht occurs, instigated by the Nazis using the killing of German diplomat Ernst vom Rath by Herschel Grynszpan as justification.
“First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out?—?because I was not a communist;
“Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out?—?because I was not a socialist;
“Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out?—?because I was not a trade unionist;
“Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out?—?because I was not a Jew;
“Then they came for me?—?and there was no one left to speak out for me. “
Poem attributed to Pastor Martin Niemoller, 1946
Do what you can do today, to proclaim and work for freedom in the world.
Do what you can to lift the dignity of all people.
Lead the people you lead to do the same.
A Proclamation on World Freedom Day, 2024 | The White House Today marks 35 years since the Berlin Wall came down. Its fall was one of the greatest advances in human dignity in my… www.whitehouse.gov
Itinerate Prophetic Ministry and Director at Eagle Ascend Ministry
1 周The Apostle Paul explained it this way: Paul’s Use of His Freedom 19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.’