The Leash

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. Galatians 5:13

OK ... so we now have a dog, a one year-old mix of beagle, shepherd, coonhound... you figure it out. Her name is Lucy. And I have observed my first theological lesson from her.

All of her outdoor activity is governed by "The Leash", which we shall call, "The Law". She knows the leash and tolerates it - it means a walk or some other kind of fun adventure. She would, however, like to be free of the restraint of said leash. I would love to give her that freedom - just to hang with me, run loose, and come on my call. But Lucy, like us human sinners, is not that smart. I'm afraid she would use that freedom to run away, perhaps meeting a large automobile on Route 25.

If only she understood that freedom, with responsibility, would be so much more satisfying than the temporary rush of running away. Perhaps some of you have canine friends that have learned that lesson. Lucy hasn't learned it yet; nor have some of us humans.

We are free in Christ, but that freedom should not lead us away from God; instead it should cause us to be more in love with our Father and to respect and obey Him, lest our freedom lead us into harmful ways. Reading scripture, worshiping, loving one another - all are ways of staying close to the Master while enjoying freedom from the "leash".

Some of us, like Lucy, don't get it. And so the spiritual disciplines are given to teach us how best to use our freedom. Please take advantage of those classes as they come your way on Sundays and Wednesdays.

Yours in Christ,
George