True Freedom in Christ

Catholic Analysis has a wonderful commentary on true freedom in Christ. The biblical text from Galatians 6:18 says "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery". The article asks how this applies to us in the "modern" world.

Modern man, it says, is a slave to the "religion of secularism." We see ourselves as "belonging" to a particular city, profession or class of people. It tells a story of a woman from New Orleans whose fiance wanted to move to Atlanta. She sees herself as a "New Orleans girl" and he finally gives in and moves there. Later, they both end up so depressed that they make a suicide pact. He dies. She lives. All for the identity of being attached to a particular city.

Parents are so quick to identify their children with getting that all important college degree (to get the all important well paying job) that they ignore the sometimes negative affects that some college experiences can have on their children.

"Once you get the degree," states Catholic Analysis, "the parent is proud even if the daughter has slept around or shacked up with several males in the process of pursuing higher education. Once you get the degree, the parent is proud even if the son is an obnoxious and boorish personality enveloped in immaturity."

I think many of us go through life on auto pilot, going after things that are not important in the long run of eternity and ignoring the consequences of following the crowd.

Freedom in Christ is true freedom--freedom from slavery to objects that are impermanent; freedom from slavery to identities that can be taken away from us in a moment by death, or abandonment or change in health. The only real lasting thing is God, who created all.