Greetings Dear Reader,
As the sun sets on Independence Day, 2020, I ponder the words
my younger Son, Bezel wrote this morning:
I've always been a huge celebrator of Fourth of July
mostly because it's close to my birthday and I like blowing things up. I like
grilling out. I like drinking with my friends. But I cannot celebrate our
country for what it is... I don't know that I ever have. I celebrate what it
could or furthermore what it should be. The myth of America is that it's a
place where every person no matter their skin color, belief system, sexual
orientation, country of origin has a chance to be free and live in peace and
harmony... this is untrue for so much of our citizenry especially the ones who
were here before any colonizers decided to make this land their home. This year
as we blow out the candles on America's birthday let's wish for that free land
of love and harmony and acceptance. That's what the world NEEDS, a place where
people can just live and be free and help each other no matter what you look
like.
I do not think that we understand just how close to the
truth he sails. We have freedom and we
do not use it well. Therein lies our
great difficulty. I have enjoyed time
with friends, time with family, and a paid day off of work. If that is all that my freedom is used for,
then I am failing to use my freedom well.
What is the purpose of freedom? It is not the simple pursuit of that which
makes me happy. The purpose of freedom is
to use it for the benefit of all humans.
That good use is to not indulge our vices but to serve others in
love. It is vital that we use our God-given
freedom to love others as the Father loves them.
I watch as both sides indulge their anger and outrage
instead of loving each other. The clamor
for or against our nation, political positions, and the rights of others are
all manageable if we take on the attitude of loving service. We have heard this from so many different angles
we do not need to be reminded.
We do need to act. We
need to see every need as an opportunity to serve others in love. It almost does not matter what the other side
says. The fact that they do not see the
love of Christ in our actions should be enough to push us. It should be enough to make us shut up, listen,
and serve in love.
My Grandfather, who adopted my natural father, was a white
police officer in Atlanta during the 1950s and early 1960s. As a lead sergeant, he approached every
incident the same way. He would arrest
you if you were committing a crime. He
would bring you to his house for meal a before taking you to jail. Other officers would call him if African
Americans were involved because they knew he would deal with them in justice
with integrity. He once told me that when
someone breaks the law that color does not matter because justice is supposed
to be blind.
I pondered all of this today and was reminded of something in
my new book, Thoughts
and Questions on Galatians. I ask
the question about something Paul writes.
He says:
Galatians 5:13 (NASB) 13 “For
you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom
into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
The question is: Why is it so important that we use our
freedom for service with love and humility?
So I wonder if today we are using our freedom for service. I wonder where our humility and love
are. I wonder how long the Father will
put up with any side posturing, rioting, killing, or condemning when we are
failing to love and serve. I ask you to ponder it with me, Dear Reader before the sun sets on our freedom.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every
writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a
homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure
store.”
(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Contacts for Aramis
Thorn:
#aramisthorn
Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com
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