[amc] FW: There are better things to pursue than 'freedom'
- From: "garland robertson" <pastor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Austin Mennonite Church" <amc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 17:21:13 -0500
Members and Friends of Austin Mennonite Church
I have added the original article that I submitted to the Austin American
Statesman for your awareness.
May it go well with you. Sincerely,
Garland Robertson
...always hold firmly to the thought that each one of us can do something to
bring some portion of misery to an end
-----Original Message-----
From: amc-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:amc-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Ray Gingerich
Sent: Monday, September 12, 2005 10:23 AM
To: Austin Mennonite Church
Subject: [amc] There are better things to pursue than 'freedom'
Friends, Not being an avid reader of the Statesman, I was unaware of this
article by Garland in the AAS until Bob Koehn pointed it out last evening. I
know we're supposed to humble and all, but I was proud of the preacher when
I read this. Ray
**************************
Austin American-Statesman
Garland Robertson: Faith
There are better things to pursue than 'freedom'
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Freedom is a concept about which we hear a lot. It usually portrayed freedom
as the ultimate achievement. Yet being free provides us only with the option
to choose how our lives will be regulated.
The "pursuit of freedom" is better described as the quest to be in control.
Beyond the reach of "freedom" lies the arena in which we construct our
destiny. Here we compose the reason for the ambitions which prompt our
attitudes and behaviors. To this criterion we are slaves -- we serve this
presence just as we would serve an imposed dominating force.
Therefore freedom, despite its magnificent appeal, is not our ultimate
concern. Monitoring the reason for our behaviors is our supremely
significant occupation. In our quest to participate in eternal life, freedom
neither ensures nor prevents our arrival.
Regardless of our circumstances we always are able to choose either to be
slaves of evil, acting in ways that we know will complicate the lives of
others, or to be slaves of good, acting in ways that honor our creator's
intentions. Wrong choices are choices that disrupt the divine design; right
choices honor what the creator has intended. We experience eternal life
whenever we make the choice to be enslaved by rightness within the boundary
of our existence, regardless of our capacities or limitations.
So if achieving freedom is not the fundamental concept that orders our
existence, what would be a better focus? What characteristic could serve to
direct our passions and our capacities as we together search to satisfy the
desire for self-fulfillment common to us all? What lies beyond the
deficiency of freedom which could guide our existence, as individuals and as
a community? Is there some eternal precept that will ensure for each of us
the ultimate experience of being human?
Once more we are caused to contemplate the circumstances identified with
Sept. 11, 2001, and to look for some guidance in trying to find a reason
that will deliver us from similar catastrophes. If we continue to measure
the events of Sept. 11 by the precepts of "freedom," we will continue to
fail in our search for resolution. Rather than relieving historical tensions
and respecting unfamiliar diversity, the pursuit of freedom creates
segregation and dissention because of its inherent intent to control.
In the pursuit of freedom, we perpetuate violent assaults. These behaviors
have never brought harmony and peace to community relations; why do we
believe it will be different this time? Let us search for some more
inclusive value that will prevent the complications caused by continuing to
sponsor the divisive pursuit of freedom.
Suppose as a community we dedicated our energies and resources to pursue
eliminating enemies not by violently pursuing freedom but rather by
compassionately preserving justice. What if we resolved to repent of and ask
forgiveness for our actions in the international community that have
resulted in disruption, fragmentation, distress, and desperation in the
lives of individuals and communities? What if we obeyed the ancient
prophetic call to honor justice while maneuvering to establish relationships
with other communities who share life on this planet with us? Think for a
moment: When did you ever feel anger or resentment because you were treated
fairly, respected as a person of equal value, and allowed to keep your
individual dignity? When did you ever become agitated by the actions of
someone who would not do to you anything they would not do to themselves or
to someone they loved? When did you ever become aggravated in your
expressions of self-determination by someone who affirmed your nature as a
fellow creature fashioned by the divine creative spirit?
Individuals, not nations, decide what their lives will be about. How
different would our world be if rather than envisioning ourselves as
citizens of 'the land of the free' we aspired to belong to 'the community of
the just?' What would be different for you?
The Rev. Garland Robertson is pastor at Austin Mennonite Church,
participants in Austin Area Interreligious Ministries. Learn more about them
at aaimaustin.org.
[Original article]
Newspaper article, American Statesman, September 10
Freedom is a concept we hear a lot about. It usually is presented in a way
that prompts us to believe that freedom is the ultimate achievement. Yet
being free in effect provides us only with the option to choose how our
lives will be regulated. The 'pursuit of freedom' more accurately described
is 'the quest to be in control.' Beyond the reach of freedom lies the arena
in which we construct our destiny. Here in this isolated terrain we compose
the reason for the ambitions which prompt our attitudes and behaviors. To
this criterion we are slaves-we serve this presence just as we would serve
an imposed dominating force.
Therefore freedom, in spite of its magnificent appeal, is not our ultimate
concern. Monitoring the reason for our behaviors is our supremely
significant occupation. In our quest to participate in eternal life,
freedom neither insures nor prevents our arrival. Regardless of our
circumstance we always are able to choose either to be slaves of evil,
acting in ways that we know will complicate the lives of others, or to be
slaves of good, acting in ways that honor the creator's intention for the
creation. Wrong choices are choices that disrupt the divine design; right
choices honor what the creator has intended. We experience eternal life
whenever we make the choice to be enslaved by rightness within the boundary
of our existence, regardless of our capacities or limitations.
So if achieving freedom is not the foundational concept which orders our
existence, what would be a better focus for us? What characteristic could
serve to direct our passions and our capacities as we together search to
satisfy the desire for self-fulfillment common to us all? For us, as
individuals and as a community, might there be a reference which lies beyond
the deficiency of freedom which could become the government for our
existence? Is there some eternal precept which will insure for each of us
the ultimate experience of being human?
Once more we are caused to contemplate the circumstances identified with
September 11 and the character of international relationships which this
tragedy provokes. And once more we have an opportunity to look for some
guidance in our attempt to find a reason that will deliver us from similar
catastrophes. If we continue to measure the events of September 11 by the
nature of freedom, we will continue to fail in our search for resolution.
Rather than relieving historical tensions and respecting unfamiliar
diversity, the pursuit of freedom creates segregation and dissention because
of its inherent intent to control. The pursuit of freedom always entrenches
conditional boundaries and erupts historical disturbances. In the pursuit
of freedom we perpetuate violent assaults. These behaviors have never
before brought harmony and peace to community relations; .why do we believe
it will be different this time? Let us search for some more inclusive value
that will prevent for all of us the complications caused by continuing to
sponsor the divisive pursuit of freedom.
Suppose as a community we dedicated our energies and resources to pursue
eliminating enemies not by violently pursuing freedom but rather by
compassionately preserving justice. What if we resolved to repent of and
ask forgiveness for our actions in the international community that have
resulted in disruption, fragmentation, distress, and desperation in the
lives of individuals and communities? What if we obeyed the ancient
prophetic call to honor justice while maneuvering to establish relationships
with other communities who share life on this planet with us? Think for a
moment: .when did you ever feel anger or resentment because you were treated
fairly, respected as a person of equal value, and allowed to uphold your
individual dignity? .when did you ever become agitated by the actions of
someone who would not do to you anything they would not do to themselves or
to someone they loved? .when did you ever become aggravated in your
expressions of self-determination by someone who affirmed your nature as a
fellow creature fashioned by the divine creative spirit?
Nations do not make decisions, but individuals alone decide what their life
will be about. How different would our world be if rather than envisioning
ourselves as citizens of 'the land of the free' we aspired to belong to 'the
community of the just?' What would be different for you?
Garland Robertson, pastor
Austin Mennonite Church
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