Freedom's Edge

The Star-Spangled Banner reminds us we are the "land of the free and the home of the brave."
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We give thanks for those who have fought for our freedom.
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But the question on my heart this morning is: how often do we abuse the freedoms we have?
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In the early church, this was an active question. One of the core tenets of this new sect of Judaism (what we now call "Christianity") was that, through Christ's law of love, we are freed from the demands of the law of Moses.
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No longer do we need to only eat certain, Kosher foods. No longer do we need to circumcise our boys as a sign of being those set apart. We are free from the demands of "the law" because salvation doesn't come from following the rules. It comes from admitting we will never be good enough to "earn" God's love, so we have to accept it as a free gift of grace. Salvation is God's gift, not our payment for good deeds.
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So, in the early church, there were those who took this to mean, "since it is not our behavior that earns our salvation, we can do whatever we want!" Some in the Corinthian church had written to Paul saying "all things are lawful for us." Here is his response:
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“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are beneficial. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12
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As modern citizens of the world's longest-standing free democracy, there is incredible depth in this for us. Paul is pointing out that if we identify the satisfying of our personal desires as the ultimate good, our freedom actually dominates us. We become slaves to our whims, our wants, and our urges.
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In his letter to the Galatians, Paul explains the Gospel version of "freedom:"
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"For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’" (Galatians 5:13-14).
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According to Paul, my freedom ends where your needs begin. When Jesus is asked "what's the greatest commandment, he responds that "all the law and the prophets" hang on loving God and loving neighbor. Paul helps us see what this means for us as modern, free Christians swimming in a consumer culture; it means that the ultimate good is not satisfying my own desires, but insuring my neighbor's wholeness.
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As this day dawns, I find myself wondering what "freedoms" I am actually called to limit today in order to love and care for others. Is my exercise of my "rights" hurting others?
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May God give us the humility to see today...the edge of our freedom. And may God give us the strength to say no when satisfying our own desires actually makes us a slave.