Freedom- for what?

"You can be anything you want to be".
"I'd like to be a duck"

So the gag went on a skit show. It shows how ludicrous the claim is. What is strange is that we've swallowed it hook, line and sinker.

A lot of people see freedom as removal of all restraints. That's the holy grail which everyone pursues.
But it is unobtainable. Let me explain why.

Our life is full of constraints. We were born into a certain family, at a particular point in history with unique body shape and genetic defects. Try as you, you cannot become a duck. You are a human who exists at a certain point of time and space. So is freedom a myth? Perhaps.

You see, the original concept of Freedom depicted by John Stuart Mills begins not with an abstract concept, but the reality of where we live. The goal was individual freedom, but not for the purpose of following your own path. There was a recognition of individual responsibility. Judith Brett argues that consumerism has pushed away from life as it is towards life as we would desire it to be (the abstract ideal).

So how does this help?
Well, we're not free to be whatever we want (like a duck), but we are able to become what we are meant to be- fully human.

Of course, to achieve this, we need to overcome some major  obstacles. Our propensity to make poor choices, addictions and more importantly, our confusion about what a true human looks like.

The true human reflects God on earth (we're image-bearers). Of course this is done with restrictions (ie we're not God). But when we recognise that humanity can display God's character and merciful rule, now we know how to live.

Often people think, "Our freedom is curtailed by our responsibilities" But that's not right. Responsibilities, goodness and circumstances do not curtail freedom; they are the conditions under which freedom operates, the tracks along which freedom runs.

Freedom is not the goal. To be truly human is. Our life, in relation to God, other people and the environment is where I comprehend my life. True freedom for this reason is found in Christ.

Sport

We’re a sporting nation. We watch, play and discuss what has happened on the weekend. What is interesting is the changing expectations around sport. Let me explain.

The modern games evolved out of the 18^th and 19^th centuries with the purpose of human competition in a civilised society. Cricket and boxing first represented this ideal, followed by football and tennis. This led to the phrase “Football is a gentleman's game played by ruffians”

In fact, some have argued that sport has a civilising element.

Yet I think that it is Christianity that shaped the way we approached sports.

You see, in the 19^th century England, character mattered more than achievement. The way the game was played was more important than the outcome (“That’s just not cricket”).

So how has sport changed? The focus is on results.

Ancient Roman had sports, where the strong thrived and the weak perished. They performed armed combat entertaining audiences in grand outdoor stadiums. Crowds cheered as they watched gladiators compete in violent confrontations with other gladiators. Is this not the National Football League?

Ivan Cole argues that “The proper purpose of sport in a healthy culture is transcendence. To transcend is to surpass or exceed ordinary limits” The focus is not on character but on achievement, over and above what would normally be expected.

Norbert Elias argued that the modern game has become a re-enactment of hunter gatherer. It is here that our primitive tribalism is displayed (including chants, threats and euphoria).

With sport becoming professional the focus in on achievement. This is not just for the sportsperson. The crowd have expectations too. The athlete is viewed as an employee and the effectiveness, and if possible the spectacle of the performance is all that counts.

 Now sport has followed the culture of the day (Nietzsche’s theory of power, Macintyre on values and Satre’s existentialism). And yet we are saddened when sports people are flawed. Could it be that we are tacitly aware of the value of character? Or do we see ourselves in sport, warts and all?

Boldness

I watched two clips recently and both made an impact:
1) Lord of the Rings (Return of the king)- the choice to give Frodo more time by fighting the orcs
2) Persecution- the choice to confess you follow Jesus despite physical beatings

Now I thought to myself, "I'd love to be that brave". Then I reflected further, and was saddened that I didn't think I could. My contemplation asked the question, "What's wrong with me!!!"

Boldness is a characteristic that is admirable. Yet it is lacking today. Fear grips us (consider how effective terrorism is and the billions of dollars spent to stop a possible attack).

I think that cowardice begins with an awareness of the cost to you. Whatever the pain is, you don't want it. Now in an age of self-satisfaction, self fulfilment and general narcissism, sacrifice is an odd concept. But bravery requires it.

So I think that the key to boldness is self-forgetfulness. That is, you have an awareness of the needs of others or God's glory as greater. This is seen in Acts 4 and 5, when the disciples are threatened with violence. They see the need of others as worth the pain. Consider the civil rights movement. Rosa Parks was willing to be intimidated, humiliated and imprisoned because she wanted a different future for African-Americans.

For Christians, we are meant to be self-forgetful. Galatians 6:19-20 says
 ‘For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God.  I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

It is possible to suffer because we identify with Christ. It's not that we want to, it's that we see acknowledging Him as Lord is more important than responding to someone's command to be quiet.

Boldness comes from a change of focus. When we focus on the risen Lord Jesus, then we see things differently, what matters is different and what we are prepared to sacrifice also changes.

What's the hurry? (Part 2)

A friend of mine had a plan. He wanted to meet with a friend for coffee, then help someone with a project and teach scripture. It's pretty admirable, right. The only problem is the timeframe:

8am- Meet for a coffee in Chatswood
9:30am- Help out friend in a work project at Town Hall
10:30am- Teach Scripture in Lindfield

Just in case you were unsure, he was constantly late.

We admire him for trying, although it meant that everyone had to organise their schedules around him.
Why did he have to do all of this in one morning?
Why couldn't he choose against one option?

That's the second area I want to pick up- choice.
Some have said that a major First World Problem is FOMO:
FEAR OF MISSING OUT

The thought of people involved in a collective experience and I'm not there- is unthinkable.
The concern is that there would be a group photo placed on Facebook which doesn't include me!

In the past we heard about an event that we missed. That's sad, but we had no real concept of what the loss was on our part. Now we see photos and updates. You can immerse yourself through social media on an event you didn't participate in. And that's the difficulty: you're acutely aware of what happened.

Social media is our friend, but it's also causing anxiety, stress and, in extreme cases, depression
People who suffer FOMO sleep less and keep their phone close at hand. They are unreliable, feeling obliged to break commitments due to opportunity cost. They try to fit more into each day, hurrying from one place to another.

Is there a solution? Yes.
It's called choice.
When you choose one thing you automatically choose against another. That is the opportunity cost.
People hate this idea and believe it is somehow possible to have it all. When marginal success comes (like my friend above), it reinforces our commitment to choose EVERYTHING.

That's foolishness. Make a choice. Know that there will other events, activities and tweets that you won't participate in. When you have resigned yourself to this, enjoy the choice you have made.

Not only will it help you feel less stressed, but you will have more time. When you embrace choice (you determine what you will do), then you can say no and set up boundaries in your life. You don't need to hurry from one event to another. In fact, you can stop focussing on the next few minutes and decide what is important in life.

For Christians, they make a choice to follow Jesus as their Lord. They then choose to seek first the kingdom of God (which involves sacrifice). To go to Bible Study group means you will miss out. To drop around on someone who is going through a rough spot means you will miss out.

Our choice isn't to experience everything this world has to offer. Our choice is glorify God.
So slow down and make wise decisions.