Last night some friends and I watched the movie, Restrepo. For those who have not heard of it, in brief it is a documentary on the most violent and dangerous area in Afghanistan that US troops were fighting in. Watching the movie resurrected all the ideals and thoughts I have on war and the reasoning for it, but I don't want to get into that right now. What I want to talk about is freedom.
This morning during service we sang a song with the verse "I am free to run, I am free to dance, I am free to live for you." After the Sunday morning haze lifted I was able to process what I was singing and realized that there are many countries in which this song is not valid. Not true. Our brothers and sisters in Iran, Iraq, Yemen, the Sudan, northern India and countless others. Those who have turned from our cousin faith and can't reveal their new lives to their families for fear of rejection, or worse, death. And so many more stories. For them these words might be hard to sing, hard to swallow. Sure, in Christ they are ultimately free. But how does that help those whose physical situation has them bound? It was difficult for me to sing this song after that thought trail.
But then, in light of watching the movie the night before, I began thinking about my own physical freedom. I can stand in a worship service with 400 other people without an ounce of fear my life will be taken by government officials barging in. And that freedom came at a cost, the cost of men and women who courageously stepped forward and gave their lives.
So regardless of my thoughts on war, I am grateful for the people who have made my freedom possible.
pax
I was thinking that too!
ReplyDeletecept i was a lil busy so I couldn't think too much into it