Losing Freedoms in America

I recently read a book called The Road to Serfdom by F.A. Hayek. Hayek is an Economist who fled Germany and is writing in England in the early 40’s in the midst of the war. His main goal in the book was to warn people (especially in England and America) that fascism and naziism were preceded by socialism, not accidentally but as the natural evolution of socialism. Hayek writes, “Few are ready to recognize that the rise of fascism and naziism was not a reaction against the socialist trends of the preceding period but a necessary outcome of these tendencies.” Hayek was concerned because many voices among the Allies in the 1940’s supported the permanent nationalization of the means of production and central economic planning – the very steps that Germany took in the previous 30 years. Hayek’s experience was that the more a civilization takes steps toward socialism, the more individuals are required to give up personal freedoms for the sake of the majority. And the relinquishing of personal freedoms is a dangerous trajectory to be on.

I’d like to sidestep the interesting discussion on where the USA currently sits on the continuum between capitalism and socialism in order to focus in on individual freedom. In his book, Hayek quotes Benito Mussolini - “We were the first to assert that the more complicated the forms assumed by civilization, the more restricted the freedom of the individual must become.” I find Mussolini’s perspective both disturbing and in some sense prophetic. Consider America. Our world is becoming increasingly complex. And we are seeing our individual freedoms restricted. Just consider what has happened during the tenures of our last two presidents. Under President Bush (a Republican) we’ve seen freedoms restricted in the name of national security. (I do think restricting freedoms in a time of war is legitimate – but the War on Terror is open-ended and seemingly never ending, particularly in light of domestic ‘terrorism’ like in Newtown, CT.) Under President Obama (a Democrat) we’ve seen freedoms restricted in the name of equality. I’m referring to the Affordable Care Act which in effect requires individuals to purchase health insurance whether they want it or not. This is a new type of freedom, the “right of the majority against the individual.” (Peter Drucker, The End of Economic Man)

The trajectory of American society is definitely toward less personal freedom not more. I suppose I’ve naively assumed that freedom is something you either have or you don’t. As a child I thought, “I’m free as an American but those Communists in the Soviet Union are not.” In reality freedom is a constantly varying thing – more like a polar ice cap that expands and contracts depending on the season. As a Christian living in a season of contracting individual freedom, what should be my response? We Americans must begin to recognize that freedom is not the most important thing – Christ is. Consider what the Apostle Paul wrote:

^ESV 1 Corinthians 7:20-24 “Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. ²¹ Were you a slave when called? Do not be concerned about it. But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity. ²² For he who was called in the Lord as a slave is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a slave of Christ. ²³ You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. ²⁴ So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.”

Remaining with God trumps freedom. If you can only choose one: political, economic & sexual freedom or relationship with God – you choose relationship with God every time. Why? Because the freedom we have in Christ surpasses all other freedom. Freedom from guilt, sin and ultimately death are freedoms that cannot be revoked by any politician or mob or employer. So to begin with, let us keep the main thing the main thing: the key freedom to pursue and zealously guard is freedom in Christ.

            Freedom in Christ is of course not incompatible with political, economic, sexual or other individual freedoms. And in fact, Paul says (in the context of chattel slavery) “if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.” I take this to mean, resist those who seek to strip freedoms from the individual. Promote the freedom of the individual as unto Christ. But promote freedom as an adopted son/daughter of the Living God – a redeemed creature on the verge of freedoms in eternity so grand that imagination cannot sketch them. Promote freedom as one who is jealous for Christ’s reputation more than your own. And Promote freedom out of love for your neighbor – a fellow immortal. 

A Lesson from my Call to Poison Control

The other day I was in the kitchen making dinner when my little two year old Jesse came in and started burping and then actually vomiting. My first thought was, “Oh, great, I thought we’d finally gotten healthy again!” But Jesse didn’t have the flu, he had an illness far more deadly: an idolatrous sinful heart. One of my older children came up to me at the stove and said, “Dad, look – all our gummy vitamins are gone.” I thought, “Wow, those didn’t last very long.” But then it hit me. Little Jesse had beat the child-safety lid and eaten them all! This was no small feat. We buy the mega size gummy jars from Sam’s Club – the kind that hold 275. Jesse ate about 200 vitamin gummies and was now having a serious indigestion problem. In a moment I was on the phone with poison control. To sum it up, the type of vitamins he ate would not poison him. His system would expel any unneeded vitamins. Praise God that Jesse didn’t get into something more dangerous!

            I’m reminded of what the Proverbs say:

^NIV Proverbs 25:16 If you find honey, eat just enough-- too much of it, and you will vomit.

^NIV Proverbs 25:27 It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to seek one's own honor.

What in the world possessed little Jesse to eat a pile of gummies the size of a softball? Sin. Toddlers love gummy snacks. If 8-10 gummy bears are yummy, surely 200 would be even better! But we can have too much of a good thing. In fact most of our idols are not pure evil - inherently wicked in every dimension. Most of our idols are good things that we honor (overindulge in or mis-prioritize) above God. Toddler Jesse overindulged in gummies and paid the price – literally vomiting up all the “honey” he gorged himself on.

I wish I could say that our hearts were cured from the sickness of idolatry in our toddler years. Unfortunately, they are not. I’ve met men who gorged themselves on work, to the point that they were burnt out, divorced and disengaged from their children. I’ve met men and women who abused some substance so thoroughly that they self-destructed every dimension of life. I’ve met women who were such fixers, that they were enslaved to helping others – so completely needing to be needed that they too did not find the love, peace and joy that Christ (the only Savior) offers.

            The bottom line is that our hearts are desperately sick (Jeremiah 17:9). Our hearts are little “idol-making factories” – constantly displacing the Lord God with other things. What are we to do? One thing is we must consult “Poison Control” – i.e. consult the Scriptures and pray for discernment in identifying idols. Until we recognize what good thing we have turned into a poison by improperly loving it we will not realize our danger. William Greenhill in his book Stop Loving the World wrote, “We meditate most on the things we love.” What do you think a lot about? This may indicate that you’re swallowing fistfuls of gummy bears. Be warned – in seeking your own honor your life may manifest symptoms of indigestion and you may soon be forced to endure the bitter experience of vomiting up what you used to think sweet.

The other thing to consider is that Christ is the only thing you can never have too much of. Paul wrote, “Christ is all.” (Col 3:11) It is impossible to think too highly or too much of Jesus. It is impossible to love Jesus too much. In fact it is only as we love and enjoy Christ first and above all others that we can safely indulge in all lesser loves. So whether you eat or drink, do all to the glory of God. (1 Cor 10:31)