The Multiple Morphing Faces of Freedom by Brad Jersak

  "THE USES OF FREEDOM--A WORD AND OUR WORLD" 

As I was reading an old essay (1956) by the Canadian philosopher-prophet George Grant on the varied uses of the word freedom in his day, I saw that it was due for a post-9-11 transposition. His unique contribution was in seeing that the modern North American sense of freedom as "the ability to do and get whatever I want" was rooted in surprising ground. He argued that while faith in this type of freedom is often sourced to (1) industrialism, (2) world-centered philosophy, and (3) the resultant crude hedonism, this is to miss the central point of our origins. Grant noted that before America's break with England, before the westward movement, before industrialization, before the rise of American secular humanism, Puritan Protestants arrived on our shores and set forces in motion that would inevitably spawn a pervasive secular, liberal society in a few short steps. 

Puritanism as the mother of secular liberalism? Was Grant mad? Stretching speculation beyond reason for the sake of novelty? Without expressing the subtleties of his whole proposal, we can certainly ponder the wisdom of just one of his points. The Puritan reformers' idea of 'freedom' was the 'ability to change the world': to create a new society, a new church, a new kingdom of God on earth. Freedom to make a new life, a better life, an expansive life beyond the restraints of England and her state church. Free to be, free to do, free to become ... history-makers for God in a brave new world.

To this recipe, subtract a little contemplation. Add a lot of pioneering action.

Add a pinch of greed. Knead. (need).

Employ the instrument of science (to control, manipulate, and exploit man and nature). Watch rise...

Roll out a thinner base of biblicism. And a broader base of expansion (manifest destiny). Wait.

Slice faith and reason: the former to church; the latter to school. Bake.

Freedom from the restraints of tradition. Freedom from the restraints of empire.

Freedom from every restraint to do even more, have even more, be even more! 

Freedom from God! Or at least do, have, and be in his name (provided he demands no restraint).

Voila, Puritanism fully baked, emptied of its restrictive transcendent pan ... a steaming loaf of shore-to-shore liberalism that enfolds both left and right, secular and religious freedom to do whatever and get whatever and dish out whatever we think will make the world (i.e. MY world) bigger and better, more like us (or prepared to serve ME). 'A society which has concentrated its energies on changing the world will more and more demand the immediate motive for so doing, and thus our society will become increasingly ruled by pleasure and force' for power and pleasure.

Well, he got that right. 

At least that's how I read Grant, who saw historical antecedents even earlier and more 'Christian' than these and foresaw later fruits later and still more sinister. Don't even get him started on the connection between Martin Luther and Roe v. Wade... but by the same logic, yes, it's there.

In the end, he chooses wonder over despair: He ends: 'Beyond this chaos, it is only possible to guess and to hope. How God shall reconcile the world to Himself is not a matter we can comprehend." 

THE MULTIPLE MORPHING FACES OF FREEDOM

The essay triggered thoughts to further shifts in what freedom means since 9-11, subtle in our minds, massive in our world. I quickly scribbled these thoughts for consideration:

When governments or the media or society en masse appeals for and agrees to greater security measures, 'We the People' do not so much see it as an impingement on personal or communal freedom, but rather, accept an inevitable subtle shift in freedom's definition. Whereas secular (and indeed Protestant) freedom had been defined as 'getting what I want by doing what I want,' post 9-11 it has shifted slightly (with huge consequences) toward 'keeping what I have by doing what I must.' Defending freedom means maintaining capital(ism) and its growth by any means necessary against threats to it. Notice the paradoxical marriage of necessity and freedom in the scheme.

The Gospel idea of freedom covers none of the above. It is not the capacity to willfully do or to get or to keep, but a fruit born of living in the grace and truth of God. Freedom is a gift and byproduct of subordinating the will to the greater Will ("Not my will, but thine be done") and bondage is the fruit of exercising the option not to. And it is the unfettered capacity to give (esp. One's life). Thus Gethsemene and Golgotha are ultimate manifestations of freedom reaching it's telos in giving one's very self and forgiveness of one's enemy. Thus framed, the path to post 9-11 freedom is currently the opposite of the course we have taken and the recession only deepened the tightening of our clenched fists. Those who would be free need to contemplate how we might reopen our hands, even between the Cross and the nail; the terrorist and the beggar.

The idea of fighting for freedom roots freedom in our activities (what we do) and our stuff (what we have)... I.e. In materialism proper, which is to say, Not in the eternal*. Such freedom is not only divorced from eternal reality, but defines itself as such.

 *eternal in Plato's sense of God and ultimates like love, justice, beauty which, rather than escapist gnostic immateriality, are manifest in the world.

Upon sending these thoughts out to a few friends for consideration, Brian Zahnd's reply will suffice as the last word:

FREEDOM, JESUS AND JEFFERSON

Here is a related thought I scribbled down yesterday:

Force or Forgiveness? The kingdom of Caesar changes the world by force. The kingdom of Christ changes the world by forgiveness. Where does our faith and allegiance lie?

The promise of empire is always the same: Prosperity and Security. Empire goes about securing prosperity and security by impoverishing others and waging war on enemies.

And so today as I read the parable of the pearl of great price, I had this thought:

We have to sell our emotional investment in other systems of security and structuring society in order to apprehend the kingdom of heaven.

There has always been a conflict between the Christian use and the Imperial use of certain vocabulary.

Both the early Christians and the Roman Empire used terms like, Gospel, Lord, Prince of Peace, Son of God, Savior of the World, etc.

Likewise with the word Freedom. Americans have a large investment in the word Freedom -- almost a proprietary claim upon it. So that when we read of "freedom" in the New Testament it is very easy to translate it in terms of the the American Revolution instead of what is actually meant by Jesus and the Apostles. It is very difficult to get people to deconstruct words like Freedom and entertain the notion that Jesus and Thomas Jefferson may mean very different things by it.

Comments

[Deborah]

If you've never heard 'Gospel Of Bondage' by Bruce Cockburn... give it a listen :)
It seems to sing some of what you're saying.

[Anny R]

Incredibly well thought out and written out! All thinkers should be aware there now is a new term (beyond pondering or researching, seasoned with an anointing of sorts, an emergence of truth), it's "jersaking" - and a jersaked reading is always well worth the time.

[Allen]

Always refreshing, Brad... and stunning! Thanks again.

[janitor]

well put, and put together.

"not my will, but Thine be done."
the politics of His kingdom.