Crossroads, Freedom & Moral Obligations

“Go to the busiest crossroads you know, and try to notice everything: all the people, the cars, the buses, the colors, the noises, the clouds, the birds, the spaces. Notice the impatience. Now picture the cross on which Jesus died as a crossroads of people, time and place; a physical crossroads through which at some time all people pass. Understand the cross as a meeting-place of all history with God, the source of all love, forgiveness and peace.”

The above quote was written by Aidan Clarke and is culled from Celtic Daily Prayer.  It is a profound idea that becomes even more intense when it is linked to a recommendation from the Hebrew prophet Jeremiah:  “This is what the LORD says: Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.  But you said, 'We will not walk in it.'”

Another year disappears in the rearview mirror and we look backwards as all the retrospectives clamor for attention. While we do so, we are reminded of those who died those who had triumphs and those whose defeats were painful to watch.

Every funeral is revisited; every victory is replayed; every scandal is rehashed; every tragedy is relived; every domestic political fight is regurgitated; every conflict around the world is reinvestigated. In all the analysis we are enlightened by authoritative talking heads who declare winners and losers on a case by case basis.

In the midst of the review, current events grab hold and we wonder what the days ahead will bring. The coverage is disturbing: A would-be terrorist packs explosives in his underwear, attempting to blow up a commercial airliner on its approach to its runway in Detroit; reports that hundreds of militants are planning terror attacks from Yemen; bloody violence and riots on the streets of Tehran while Iran continues to thumb its nose at the United Nations as it pursues development of a nuclear bomb; religious bombings routinely rock neighborhoods in Pakistan, which keeps a volatile country on edge and in turmoil.

The headlines ought to revive the nitty gritty truth that we are at war. Al-Qaeda is alive and well; it is determined to achieve its goal of being a dominate power that brings about the destruction of freedom as we understand it. The terror network is interconnected and thrives on societal chaos which it both creates and leverages for its purposes.

From the beginning of time, humanity has wrestled with the concepts of freedom and bondage, Light and Darkness. Hope can be like a shooting star that flashes with momentary brilliance and then in a wink is gone.

To some extent, the modern American perspective is distorted. The blessings of a vital democracy serve to insulate us from much of the darkness that smothers those trapped within repressive regimes. Compared to many countries, we have no framework of experience to understand the bondage of Darkness; we have only known the freedom of Light.

It’s easy to philosophize on our front porches or in coffee shops, but difficult to have any real grasp or appreciation. The benefits of religious liberty have dulled us to some horrible global realities. Economic prosperity and our system of government have provided us with an isolated view of darkness.

For example, consider what’s presently happening in Uganda: The parliament is discussing the Anti-Homosexual Bill of 2009, which if passed, will impose harsh penalties on homosexuals, including life imprisonment and execution. It will also make it the law of the land to require Ugandans to report suspected offenders to authorities; it will be illegal for a Ugandan to not blow the whistle on someone who is gay.

Where are believers in Jesus Christ; where is the American Church on this issue? We ought to be on the side of the oppressed; we have a moral obligation to shine Light into the deep pockets of Darkness worthy of Neanderthals.

This is where faith meets reality because there was a Nazarene named Jesus who once told a story that had zero wiggle room. It made clear that our faith had to result in active compassion; according to the parable our final destiny on Judgment Day will be dependent upon how we treated our fellowman; we are to care for and minister to others as though we were caring for Jesus.

If we proclaim belief in Jesus Christ, then our empathy must be without conditions and above reproach; it is not optional. In a bruised and battered world, it is urgent that we live out the redemptive power of the cross; with great comprehension of our own vile nature we are to point others to the cross as a meeting-place of all history with God, the source of all love, forgiveness and peace.

At the crossroads of a new decade, we should lead by example. The ancient paths are where the good way is, and in seeking those out we rediscover the mercy of God, which we are to generously administer to others.

May God help us to walk in the good ways where we will find rest for our souls.