Celebrating Joyous Freedom

”The Divine Plan is one of Freedom; bondage is not God-ordained. Freedom is the birthright of every living soul. All instinctively feel this. The Truth points to freedom, under Law. Thus the inherent nature of each person is forever seeking to express itself in terms of freedom. We do well to listen to this Inner Voice, for it tells us of a life wonderful in its scope; of a love beyond our fondest dreams; of a freedom which the soul craves.”

~Ernest Holmes, Science of Mind, pg 25

The greatest gift that each one of us has is our freedom – our free will.  We are free to be anything we choose, become as much as we can imagine, and then we are free to choose again.  This is definitely something worth celebrating!   Not everyone experiences this true freedom in the conditions or circumstances of their life, yet we are always free to see things differently and to act from our deepest beliefs and highest values.  As we celebrate our nation’s Independence Day this month, let us also use this time as a call to go within and celebrate the freedoms that are ever-present and inherent to our humanity.  These are the freedoms that transcend all human realities and experiences, and allow us to take ownership of our lives. 

What does it mean to be truly free?  True freedom is the realization that we are not bound by anything outside of ourselves.  We may be treated badly, but we are free not to believe that we are victims.  We may be terminally ill, but we are free to discover grace and forgiveness through the process.  We may be disabled, but we are free to constantly strive to overcome our own limitations.  We may have been victims and survivors as children, but we are free to become people who thrive as adults. 

Our experiences may challenge us, but our free will can never be caged, for we are divine beings who are inherently free by our divine birthright!  We are so radically free that we can will destruction and hatred. We are also so radically free that we can will hope in the midst of destruction and love in the midst of hate. 

The question is always – what shall we do with our freedom?  From our spiritual faith, we come to understand that we are free to choose, and that every choice carries with it either a consequence or a benefit.  Over time, the very nature of our freedom teaches us to become responsible for our choices.  Sometimes our choices are about our actions and behaviors.   However, in harmful or difficult circumstances, our choices can be confined to our attitudes, beliefs and inner-most thoughts.  As Victor Frankl discovered in the Nazi concentration camp, everything can be taken away, except for one’s personal dignity and one’s inner most being.  We can choose who we will be in any and every circumstance.  

This month, as we celebrate freedom, let us value the immense freedoms we actually do have.  Then let us determine to strive for all people to have these same freedoms.  Finally, let us realize that whether we have outside freedom or not, we are always free within to be a joyful and benevolent presence in any situation.  We are free to answer hate with love, and chaos with peace.  While we may not be free to keep others from attacking us, we can always choose not to attack back.  Let us join together in joy to celebrate our free will and claim our independence from our stories, ours fears, and our dramas so that we may truly step in to our Joyous Freedom!