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We, also, say we are free, while much of our behavior appears habitual and automatic, without due consciousness and, often, conscience. Likewise, we know we are driven by such things as genetics and culture. Then, do we really have freewill, or not?
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Who is truly free at the end of the above Sufi tale? Certainly, not the man, you will likely agree. And this even though he was blessed with many things.
Still, when did the bird become free? Was she free when she was in the cage, performing to please other persons and her owner, and being liked for her looks and singing? No - I am sure you will agree. Rather, she was a mere means to bring satisfaction to other persons. Her only value was utilitarian; she had no integral worth in the eyes of her owner.
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At core, the Gospel is paradoxical on the matter of freedom. We must die, to live. We must lose our liberty, to be liberated.
Now, that does not make sense. Yet, “does not make sense” is when we have become so habituated to consensual thought, which is nonspiritual, pragmatic, utilitarian, and materialistic. In our linear way, we may find it hard to grasp the upside-down principles Jesus shares with us.
Yet, answer these questions, and see if what the Gospel teaches is so unwise, after all, even though apparently contradictory. Who has caused you the most trouble in your life? Right, you. Who has caused other persons the most trouble in your life? Right, you. Who has endured the most self-inflicted and needless suffering in your life? Right, you. Who has failed in your life to appreciate rightly blessings that have been given freely? Right, you. Who has spent the most time in your life projecting bad things that never came about? Right, you. Who in your life has been the most hurt by letting other persons use him or her? Right, you. Who in your life has most struggled to forgive others who have hurt you? Right, you. I guess this is enough to make the point. Right?
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Sadly, often religion becomes another cage. This cage entraps us in another case of the performance ethic. How often do we hear leaders berating – whether apparently lovingly or harshly - church members for not doing enough, not giving enough, not being enough, not going enough, not serving enough, …?
This is one of the plights of my past denomination. We had moved to having to give performance reports based on weekly member performance. One silly – I thought and still do - case of this was having members inform if they had given a certain amount of time to service in the community during the week. Well, I never asked that of the members, thankfully. Of course, there was no question at all about how much time persons had spent in prayer and meditation. No, the questions were about observable performance.
Now, it seems to me the Gospel is clearly not in agreement with this tell-everyone-performance ethic.
2When you give to the poor, don't blow a loud horn. That's what show-offs do in the meeting places and on the street corners, because they are always looking for praise. I can assure you that they already have their reward. 3When you give to the poor, don't let anyone know about it. 4Then your gift will be given in secret. Your Father knows what is done in secret, and he will reward you.
*Matthew 6.2-4 (CEV). Note: This same process was applied to prayer. Do not make a show of it.
The performance ethic will not work. The grace ethic will. Grace leads to freedom. Not only does it lead to freedom from the entrapment of being a slave to things, it frees us from slavery to persons who want us to prove to them we are worthy persons.
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Jesus was free. He showed us the Way of freedom, and it is a way that many in the church – including denominational and church clerics – are afraid of. Frankly, many of the leadership are deathly afraid that laity and clerics simply cannot handle being free.
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