Stepping Back Into Freedom
Thu, 2009-07-02 12:03 — Father Mark
This weekend as we celebrate the Fourth of July, we are all aware of the freedom we enjoy in this country. We take so many of our freedoms for granted until, of course, one of them is taken from us; and then, we no longer take freedom so lightly. It occurred to me that there are many ways to lose our freedom. One very simple way is to have some thing or some one get “in the way” of what we want to do. A person steps into our path or something blocks our way as we are moving along and we are no longer free, no longer peaceful, and no longer very happy.
Let me give a small example. Imagine a situation in which you plan to do something with your family as a family. Everyone agrees that this would be a good idea and as the discussions and planning for the event go forward more and more enthusiasm and excitement among the family members grows. It all seems to be smooth sailing until one person becomes a bit stubborn and unbending about a particular detail. All of the sudden the excited discussion dissolves into a very uncomfortable silence. Various family members can’t believe what they have just heard from that unbending relative. That smooth sailing ship has run aground. The way ahead is now blocked and the family’s freedom to do what it wants has been stifled. A freedom that everyone assumed they had is no longer theirs. What to do?
The ancient Desert Fathers had a saying: “When the path before you is blocked, back up and look intently to discover and to see more of the path”.
What does this mean for our un-free family members above? It means that each of those un-free relatives may not have lost their freedom; they may, in fact, be on the verge of finding a far broader freedom. If each un-free family member would “back up” as the Desert Fathers suggest, they might discover that they have a choice as to how they see that uncooperative relative. They can choose to see them as a stubborn, unbending buffoon who is purposely ruining everybody’s fun. Then again, they might step back and see that person as someone who might be seeing something that no one else had noticed about the planned event. It could very well be the case that that seemingly stubborn buffoon is actually saving everyone from some unforeseen difficulty. The process of “backing up” to see more of the path may well provide the family above with a new freedom they never knew they had or even needed.
As we celebrate our nation’s independence, it might be a good time for us to take a good look at the freedoms we enjoy, especially the one’s we may not even know we have or even need.
Let me give a small example. Imagine a situation in which you plan to do something with your family as a family. Everyone agrees that this would be a good idea and as the discussions and planning for the event go forward more and more enthusiasm and excitement among the family members grows. It all seems to be smooth sailing until one person becomes a bit stubborn and unbending about a particular detail. All of the sudden the excited discussion dissolves into a very uncomfortable silence. Various family members can’t believe what they have just heard from that unbending relative. That smooth sailing ship has run aground. The way ahead is now blocked and the family’s freedom to do what it wants has been stifled. A freedom that everyone assumed they had is no longer theirs. What to do?
The ancient Desert Fathers had a saying: “When the path before you is blocked, back up and look intently to discover and to see more of the path”.
What does this mean for our un-free family members above? It means that each of those un-free relatives may not have lost their freedom; they may, in fact, be on the verge of finding a far broader freedom. If each un-free family member would “back up” as the Desert Fathers suggest, they might discover that they have a choice as to how they see that uncooperative relative. They can choose to see them as a stubborn, unbending buffoon who is purposely ruining everybody’s fun. Then again, they might step back and see that person as someone who might be seeing something that no one else had noticed about the planned event. It could very well be the case that that seemingly stubborn buffoon is actually saving everyone from some unforeseen difficulty. The process of “backing up” to see more of the path may well provide the family above with a new freedom they never knew they had or even needed.
As we celebrate our nation’s independence, it might be a good time for us to take a good look at the freedoms we enjoy, especially the one’s we may not even know we have or even need.