Freedom Archives - Wyatt Graham

He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity

– Ecclesiastes

Our word freedom plays an important role in society. We live in a free and democratic society, the Charter tells us. The United States of America promises liberty and freedom for all. Their declaration of independence guarantees the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Freedom in North America defines our vision of the good life.

We are free people. The USA broke free from England. Canada became a nation with a Charter of rights and freedoms. We can vote. We can choose what we want—we select what pleases us. At one level then, we enjoy political freedom.

At a different level, today’s freedom enslaves us. It exploits our free choices so that we become servants to our own desires. Byung-Chul Han’s writings have made this argument persuasively, I believe. We live in a society that runs on achievement. We must achieve results. But the product, more often than not, is us. We exploit ourselves freely and so become a slave to the drive to perform, get results, and show value. [Read more…] about Today’s Freedom Enslaves

Martin Luther once wrote, “Do not make what is free into a must.” Here, he was talking about the practice of matters not directly forbidden in Scripture (monastic vows, etc.). While Luther strongly and bullishly at times pushed for what Scripture said we must do, he had a place for the conscience, for Christian freedom in matters that Scripture has no direct prohibition.

We live in a scientific age in which every jot and tittle finds its definition. But real life often does not work that way. And I suspect that we bring this scientific expectation into our Christian practice when in fact Christian freedom allows us much more leeway than we might expect. Legalism is always a danger; freedom is always ready to be lost. As Paul tells us, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Gal 5:1). [Read more…] about “Do not make what is free into a must”