Greetings!

I begin with expressions of gratitude, for all who continue to read these musings of mine, and in your generosity, make time to respond, whether on this site or via another medium, to say thanks for something I wrote, that stirred a distant but pleasant memory, inspired a longing or simply placed a smile upon your face. I am always moved by your comments and particularly appreciative of the ones from the wordsmiths…you with the eagle editorial eye, who ensure that whatever I share, can stand up if nothing else, to syntactic scrutiny. If I do not respond to each of you, please know that I see, read and am grateful for every comment.

Today [well what’s left of it] is celebrated as Dr Martin Luther King Jr [MLK]. Day: the one on which Americans in particular, and the world in general, are encouraged, to bring to conscious thought, his life and legacy – the fact that the causes for which he lived and died are yet unfulfilled, certainly in matters pertaining to the rights and freedoms of all, particularly people of African heritage. I am trying to choose my words carefully, but I am not sure that I am succeeding because the bottom line is that today, fifty-four years following his assassination, Dr King’s dream remains just that…

From my early morning reflections on his life…the fact that today, there are many shades and colors of racism and injustice coexisting alongside the [often tearless] cries of those who champion the cause for the rights and dignity of oppressed ones; it seems that those belonging to the former group are not only outliving those of the latter, they somehow also, always seem to have the upper hand. As I meditated, the word freedom seemed like a recurring decimal. Try as I might, I was not able to dislodge it and so am left with the very difficult task [because it is probably never-ending] of unpacking its meaning…at least for me.

I have found that I can become quite resentful, at times with little provocation, on account of having to do things, because they have been dictated by someone who or a situation that I perceive may not be overly concerned about my feelings. At such times, my default response begins something like… “I wish I didn’t have to…” or… “If only I didn’t have to…” The truth is such a response is neither realistic nor practical; here’s why…

We live in Community and whether we like it or not, a significant part of our existence revolves around living, in ways that enable others to do the same, with minimum friction. There is a sense therefore, in which the objective of peaceful co-existence is very much dependent upon how we understand and embrace freedom. Back in the day, while a student in Teachers’ College, a Spanish proverb was introduced to me, a rough English translation of which I have never forgot. It declares: “Freedom does not consist of what one wants to do, but what one has to do.”

Today, I had occasion to mull over these words yet again, to re-interpret and re-imagine their meaning for me, my country and world at this time, particularly so as it seems that with succeeding generations, the dreams of our forebears, including MLK, have become more elusive, as they take on layers and layers of impossibility, from which it seems nigh unto impossible, to extricate them.

But as I reflected, a word from Spirituality teacher Henri Nouwen, helped me place some things in perspective. I was reminded that the beginning point of the freedom I desire, that for which our world longs, is neither external nor physical; that which we identify and articulate as freedom, is but a manifestation of a greater and more authentic one, that calls us away from paying homage to the false gods of the world, to the loving arms of the liberating God, in and by whom alone, true freedom is experienced. To this end, Nouwen alludes to the fact that when fear, anger, the expectations of others and sense of victimhood are allowed to seduce us into thinking that somehow, our worth is wrapped up in how we react to them, we will always feel entrapped; we will always relinquish real freedom [the daily consciousness of our being God’s beloved], to chase after the elusive and counterfeit non-reality, that can never be ours.

No wonder MLK, in his prophetic speech, declared that having been to the mountain top, he had no fear of what would happen to him thereafter. He had a sense of the imminence of his demise and although as he said, he desired longevity [as we all do], the more important issue was doing God’s will. That was the freedom within which he lived and died, freedom that allowed him to taste and see goodness no one could wrest from him, for it was a divine gift.

So, here I am at the close of the day, still with my thoughts but also the realization that my desire to do what I want, when I want and, however I want, without being bothered by the dictates of any individual, circumstance, or situation, does not constitute freedom. Freedom is knowing whose I am, which then allows me to fully understand who I am and thereby, appreciate that my neighbor, whoever he/she may be, is just as valued, having like me, been made in the Image of God.

Well, I will leave you there for now and pray that you will continue to remain safe and well, as you bask in the freedom of being in His grip.

Grace+