Yesterday was July 4th, 2021. Most people who don't depend on the mainstream news realize by now, 2020 was a year that freedom came under attack. Fortunately there are some red-blooded Americans out there, and some other people around the world that realize mankind is not meant to be enslaved; especially not by the government. I don't write this to gripe about the people that seemed to want the government and media to tell them how to think and what to do for their next move - I write this to point out some of the freedoms that came under attack, some of the precious freedoms that some still enjoy, and some of the freedoms that are still under attack every day.
I thought about this as I summitted a small hiking trail I did time and time again as a youth, on the property of a once famous poet named Carl Sandburg. I couldn't help but think to myself, especially after celebrating July 4th with my family this past weekend, At least I'm still free to come back to the mountaintop again.
But for how long?
During 2020, people in large cities around the world were literally quarantined inside their homes, when they were perfectly healthy - on the off chance that they MIGHT be carrying a virus but not showing symptoms for it. There were parks out west, this time last year, where nobody could hike to the top of mountains and take in God's beautiful creation. Restaurants everywhere closed their doors and wouldn't serve the public, on account of FEAR. Church services had to move to being online in every state just about, thus rendering true fellowship amongst Christ's believers almost useless... certainly hard to find at one point! Imagine that; Christian leaders allowed their brethren to live in fear, after lifetime after lifetime of teaching believers to NOT LIVE IN FEAR because we shouldn't fear death? Who was it again that conquered death?
Athletic events and entertainment industries came to a halt, and most of the world was forced to see movie trailers for movies that STILL AREN'T OUT YET! And the biggest punishment we as humanity allowed to happen on this planet; the biggest relinquishment of freedom? We prohibited millions of people from WORKING, earning a living wage, going to a job.
Now let's look at the freedoms we have back. Most of us can be free again, to go into a restaurant, WITHOUT A MASK, and enjoy breathing and eating without someone telling you you can't. Most of us can go back to our jobs, even without masks (unless you work in some service industries). Most of us are free to go to concerts and athletic events again. Most of us are free to go in and out of a store without some mask-nazi harassing us (unless they think we aren't vaccinated - Oh No!). Most importantly, MOST of us are free to go back to church again.
But have you stopped to think about it? Have you stopped, turned off all the talking heads, tried to remember your history lessons from when you were a kid...or even tried to remember some of the words of Jesus Himself regarding freedom in Christ? I wasn't just making the first third of the words in this post up; people really did relinquish all those freedoms during 2020. That happened folks. Our founding fathers are rolling in their graves, and I wouldn't be surprised if Jesus is just shaking his head and looking at His divine apple watch, waiting for that divine text to come in from the Holy Father, NOW!, regarding His second coming. All this shirking freedom for fear ... becoming slaves to fear - sure does make it seem like Revelation is closer, doesn't it?
Make no mistake about it. There are people around the world who are shutting things BACK DOWN in the name of fear. Freedom to speak is challenged constantly here in America, even, if you suggest such a thing. Freedom to work is challenged because of so many people falling into the grips of being jobless, and dependent on the State for everything. And yes, freedom to worship is challenged once again, especially in the nations who took freedom kind of lightly all along.
I'm not even saying people shouldn't take precautions when a virus is making its rounds. But the government should never be DICTATING our freedoms to come and go, or how to breathe. It flies in the face of 'unalienable rights endowed by our Creator,' actually affects our freedom in Christ as far as opportunity to worship together, and therefore falls right in line with a description of tyranny - thus abusing the earthly authority granted by God to govern a free people.
So yes - you bet I was thankful I was still free to come back to the mountaintop one more time.
But judging by the way society has behaved - how much longer do I have such freedom?