You, my
brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your
freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.
"Called to be free".
It is a
curious notion that one might be called to be free. Freedom, after all,
is the great desire as well as the great seduction. Freedom is the power
to turn choice into action. That such power might be anything but a
gift seems almost absurd.
Yet we are told that freedom is a calling. How can this be?
A Commandment Given
When we
are called, we are summoned. We are commanded. We are required. This is
the very essence, the core meaning, of what it is to be "called".
As we are
called to be free, freedom is not merely a gift, but a mandate. There is
expectation laid upon us that we will embrace freedom, and make use of
it.
Freedom is a commandment given.
The command
is a simple one: "Choose". In every situation we are faced with options
and alternatives. In every situation we are faced with choices, of
which we must pick one. As we are called to be free, we are commanded to
make that choice.
These
choices make freedom a most dangerous concept. With each choice we not
only initiate our own actions, but we set in motion all the consequences
arising from that action. As consequence flows inevitably from our own
actions, there can be no freedom from consequence. As we choose our own
actions we of necessity choose our own consequences, be they good or
bad.
Freedom is
dangerous, but if we are called to freedom we cannot avoid the danger.
We do not have the luxury of not choosing, of not acting. We are called
to freedom, therefore we must choose--left or right, up or down, this
way or that way--and we must contend with all that follows from that
choice.
In this,
freedom is also paradoxical. If we elect not to choose, that election is
itself a choice, complete with its own course, actions, and
consequences.
We are called to be free. We are commanded to choose, and we cannot refuse.
How Shall We Choose?
Since we
must make choices, it follows that it is in our best interest to always
choose wisely. Who would willing choose that which yields only bad
consequences, or more bad consequences than good?
How, then shall we choose? How can we be assured of more good than bad outcomes to our choices?
As anyone who
has had too much to eat or drink, and suffered the unpleasant
aftereffects can attest, unrestrained indulgence has some very direct
bad outcomes, all of which are foreseeable. Choosing to surrender to the
impulses of the moment yields more bad outcomes than good.
A
thoughtless word or insensitive remark can quickly earn us the enmity of
our neighbors, and can turn friends into enemies. Choosing to disregard
those around us thus also seems likely to yield more bad outcomes than
good.
Taking
whatever we want, merely because we want it, will quickly create a
variety of legal and other complications in our lives, none of which can
plausibly be considered "good" outcomes. Choosing to despoil the
property of others again is likely to yield more bad outcomes than good.
Wanton
indulgence, self-centeredness, and simple greed are quite clearly not
the choices that will give us the outcomes we desire. Momentary
pleasures invariably turn into lasting pains.
Yet simply
denying ourselves momentary pleasures by itself yields no pleasure at
all. If the alternatives are momentary pleasure or no pleasure, then
even lasting pains might be seen as a worthwhile exchange.
Neither
indulgence nor denial of the impulses of self are choices which can
assure us of more good outcomes than bad. For such assurance, we must
look beyond ourselves, beyond those momentary impulses. Following this
reasoning to its conclusion, the "good" choice must invariably be one
which takes into account the people around us. Choosing wisely means
thinking of friends, of family, and of community as we make our choices.
On even a
mercenary basis of trading favor for favor, kindness for kindness, we
can see the logic of this. If we extend ourselves on behalf of our
neighbors we are not unreasonable in expecting our neighbors to extend
themselves on behalf of us--and is not such reciprocity the very basis
on which communities are built, and even friendships founded?
Yet even
without explicit reciprocity, cultivating an awareness of the needs and
desires of others is far more likely to inspire similar awareness in
others than casual disdain. Not everyone will repay kindness with
kindness, but no one will repay contempt with kindness.
Whatever we choose, we raise our chances of good outcomes if we extend our thinking to the wider world around us as we choose.
Lead By Example
If we
assert a premise that consideration for others is our best bet for
positive outcomes in our own lives, what assurance have we that an act
of generosity on our part will be repaid with generosity from others?
We have no
assurance whatsoever. Our generosity may or may not be repaid in kind.
Those whom we help may return scorn and contempt instead.
How others
respond to our actions is not a choice we get to make. We invite the
consequence by acting, but we never have the luxury of choosing the
consequence that will follow from an action. Our ability to choose our
consequences is limited to our choice of actions.
This
limitation is applies to everyone, however. The response of others to
our actions is a choice--and therefore an action--for them. The
challenge each of us faces to make choices which maximize good
consequences in our lives is the same challenge for all.
As the
response to our actions is a choice for others, so too is our reaction
to that response a consequence for others. If generosity is not met with
generosity, what motive have we to remain in the company of such
people? If generosity is met with scorn, why would we not remove
ourselves from such people?
If we
remove ourselves from such people, one certainty that exists is that we
will not be in position to offer them generosity when they need it,
Another certainty is that they will need some generosity at some point.
There can be little doubt that this is the order of things for everyone.
If we take
the initiative, and show generosity without assurance of receiving it in
return, we will be at least some of the time disappointed. Some of the
time we will be well rewarded. At all times we will promote the ideal
that generosity is beneficial to everyone. Even if we only persuade but
one other person of this, by so doing we increase our chances of
receiving generosity in return for our own.
We maximize our chances for this good outcome by leading by example, and showing generosity without knowing the outcome.
As we are
called to be free, as we are commanded to choose, our best fulfillment
of this command--and our best service to ourselves--is to be generous,
and serve one another humbly in love.
That is how we choose well.
