Our Universal Longing for Freedom

Part one in a three-part series on Christian freedom

For all its common usage amongst Christian circles, what do we actually mean when we Christians say, “I am free”? It often seems to me a rather strange descriptive. Not knowing exactly where to begin, in trying to understand what it is, it might be helpful to understand what it is not.

“…despite all of the freedoms we have, and enjoy, as people living in a modern Western society, many of us do not truly, really, feel free.”

I am not, for example, talking about total human freedom or autonomy, where every man or woman exists in isolation from everyone else. John Donne’s aphorism runs eternally true: No man is an island. Indeed, Christian freedom is the exact opposite of asserting total autonomy, for Christian life is so dependent on community for its growth and nurturing. Neither am I talking about political freedom, such as that which we have from living in a Western democracy. Though, sadly, this kind of freedom many do not have, and the church needs to be at the forefront of anti-trafficking movements and other freedom initiatives. Thirdly, I am not talking about economic freedom, which many of us already enjoy. Most of us, if not all, have plenty food in the fridge, or disposable income to spend on whatever we like. I am not here to talk about any of these freedoms, which we already have.

The freedom I mean here is spiritual freedom. And I think it is the most important kind of freedom we can have.

Let me ask you a question. Do you feel free? Do you, truly, feel free? The strange thing is this: despite all of the freedoms we have, and enjoy, as people living in a modern Western society, many of us do not truly, really, feel free.

If somebody asked you today how you felt, you likely would not reply and say, “I feel free!” Even right now, as you read this, you probably don’t feel free. Maybe you’re tired from being so busy. Maybe your stressed. Maybe you’re feeling sad or depressed. Whatever the case, for the majority of the time we are awake, we don’t feel relaxed, don’t feel at peace, and don’t feel free.

In my opinion, this lack of peace, this restlessness, that we all experience is suggestive. It’s suggestive of the fact that we are made for more. What we currently have is not enough. Despite all the freedoms that we do have, we still do not experience true freedom.

We live in a post-secular world. Over the past two or three centuries, people have predicted, with the advent of Reason and Progressivism, that religion would die out. And all of its superstitions and presuppositions along with it. In fact, the opposite it the case. Religions around the world continue to grow. Even in western societies like ours, where traditional forms and expressions of religion are said to be dying out, we see that spirituality has not. People more than ever are realising that they are made for more; that they are more than just material, physical stuff; more than just the daily grind; more than just making money and accumulating more possessions. Nietzsche famously said, “God is dead.” And a great many people thought he was right. Time, however, has shown that this is not the case. People are realising that they actually cannot live without God. Despite all that we already have – all of our freedoms – we long for more.

Augustine was a man of the highest learning, and he is a profoundly important figure. He influenced, since his writing in the fifth century, practically all subsequent philosophical and theological thought. Though he searched for meaning, and was very thorough in doing so, he came at last, aged 32, to the conclusion that Christianity is true. This was despite trying all the alternatives: various different philosophies of the day, chasing status and fame, involvement with many women, and more. He was restless, he was longing for more, and he finally found God. These are some of his most famous words:

“You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You” (Augustine, Confessions)

We have, preserved in the Bible, the words of one of the earliest Christian leaders. He is known to us as the apostle Paul. He writes of this same restlessness and longing for freedom, describing how we experience an inner groaning for more: “We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8.22–23, NRSV, italics added). Jesus himself, the founder of the Christian faith, recognised this need when he taught the following: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

It is a strange and sad reality that this feeling of true freedom eludes most of us most of the time. But realising the absence of this freedom, realising that we often do not feel free, can be good for us. It shows us that we are made for more. We have so many freedoms, be they political, economic, or social, but still spiritual freedom many of us do not have.

I conclude this first short reflection on spiritual freedom with a famous quotation from C. S. Lewis, and in later reflections I will try to elaborate more fully on what this freedom actually looks like.

“If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world” (C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity).

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