FREEDOM!
Remembrance Day is a celebration of freedom. We honor those who gave their lives to maintain our freedom. What freedom do we have? The dictionary defines freedom as “the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint.” It is further defined as the “state of not being imprisoned or enslaved.” We speak of academic freedom, artistic freedom, intellectual freedom, scientific freedom, economic freedom, political freedom and civil liberties.
In our national anthem we triumphantly declare, “the true north strong and free.” We invoke God’s blessing in the words, “God keep our land, glorious and free.” We enjoy, and at times take for granted the freedoms we have.
Freedom, to be freedom, requires a framework of trust and boundaries of responsibility.
Years ago, John Lennon wrote a utopian anthem entitled “Freedom.” “Imagine there’s no heaven, it’s easy if you try,” the song began. “No hell below us. Above us only sky. Imagine all the people living for today… no religion, no possessions, and a universal brotherhood of man.
But how could such a world–one where there is no Higher Power in control, and where there is no life beyond death, and which nothing outside of us exists to ground human dignity or morality, and where history is an unguided accident headed nowhere—bring us anything resembling a utopia?
In such a world, without ultimate standards of right and wrong, what makes a so-called “brotherhood of man” or a “life in peace” any better than one of greed, or survival of the fittest? In fact, in such a world, why would a virus be any less valuable than a human? Why should we protect the lives of the elderly and frail instead of our economic bottom lines?
The Greek philosophers spoke of the necessity of transcendent truth to bring cohesion to life on earth. I believe they were right. Furthermore, I believe that transcendent truth finds its source in a transcendent God who is the creator of all.
“Thou shalt not murder” is a transcendent value that establishes the worth of a life in the womb and one that is a breath away from the tomb. All life has value that is derived from its Creator. Behavior does not establish my value it simply reflects the values that govern my life.
Thou shalt not steal is a transcendent value that establishes the worth of my labor and the reward of my diligence. To steal assumes that I have the right to possess what your diligent labor has produced and that “owning” it will add to my value.
Thou shalt not commit adultery is a transcendent value that establishes the value of loyalty over the seduction of temporary pleasure.
Thou shalt not bear false witness is rooted in the transcendent value of integrity, justice, and truth over the fabrications of my own reality. Ultimately, I am god overall and will conform the world to my reality.
Transcendent values are the foundation of an enduring utopia. They are the necessary boundaries for freedom to exist. Put In a simple way, your freedom ends where my nose begins.
To keep our land strong and free, we must cherish the boundaries that protect our freedom. Set your will to bring the greatest good to the greatest number of people for the longest time, and I will see you at the top.
Duane Harder
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