I’ve been thinking about freedom lately.  It’s a powerful thing.  And you know what Spider-Man has to come to grips with:

“Peter, with great power comes great responsibility.”

Wise words, Uncle Ben.  So, as an American, it behooves me to remember that my vast variety of freedoms actually give me great power.  I am now a steward of those freedoms.  What will I do with them?  Questions to consider as I start a new chapter of my life…

Similarly, as a Christian, the Apostle Paul says, “It’s for freedom that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery!” (Galatians 5:1)  I am now a steward also of this freedom.  What will I do with it?

I’ve started reading an old book called In Man We Trust, given to me by an uncle who is cleaning out his library of seminary books before he heads back overseas.  The surprising thing about this book (if I were to judge the book by its cover) is that it’s written by a very well-respected Old Testament scholar, Walter Bruggeman.  I’m only through the first chapter, but his main premise is that the Modern Protestant Evangelical Gospel (got all that?) focuses so much on man’s depravity that it negates some things that the Old Testament clearly and frequently teaches:  that man is the honored crown of creation, made in the image of God.

The wisdom literature (Proverbs especially) speaks over and over again of the daily choices before us.  Will we choose wisdom, which leads to prosperity and peace and a healthy community, or will we choose foolishness, which leads to ruin, disgrace, and heartbreak in communities?

For my whole life, I’ve had this mentality that the only “wise” thing is to want to do something BIG for God.  But what if wisdom is simply making wise choices in daily life?  Choosing to celebrate what should be celebrated, choosing to give thanks instead of grumbling, choosing to love instead of being condescending, choosing to live instead of fearing?  These are just my own daily choices; you may have others.

I’m free!!  But what am I going to do with my freedom?  THAT, my friends, is the question of the hour.