Set Free

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”— Galatians 5:1

Lately, I have been blessed to see several bald eagles.

I am always awestruck when I see these beautiful birds and lately I’ve caught myself looking for them. I live near lakes and rivers and sometimes see them soaring in the sky or perched in trees. I think of them as unlikely around my suburban area, but they are here! The other morning I saw one perched on the tippy-top of our local water tower! The white head and dark body were stark against the blue sky.

The eagle on the water tower, and others I have seen, have a problem. They are called “crows”. At times I see crows following the eagles, swooping down at them, obviously trying to drive them away. The stately bird on the water tower had several crows flying just feet from its head, swooping down, (probably jeering at it), flying away, sweeping around for another try. I imaged it like annoying flies or mosquitos bothering the tasty human on a sultry summer night. You swat, you wave, but they still come at you. The funny thing was, the eagle never moved. It just sat there, with these other birds zipping around its head. Despite the pests, it remained still.

The eagle, with its magnificent stately colorings, size, soaring ability, and poise, symbolizes freedom. But even the freedom of the eagle has been challenged in these last decades. Our freedoms sometimes feel challenged too. We like to be free to “do what we want”, but often life gets in our way. Our freedoms may be challenged at work, at home, in relationships, at school, and a host of other places. But one place our freedom is never compromised is in the Gospel, God’s good news for us.

Paul describes Christ’s intent—to set us free. Free from bondage to sin, free from the darkness that pervades our lives, freedom to follow God, freedom to love. We are reminded to stand firm, to claim the promise of God’s freedom for us, and to stand against all the things that challenge this freedom daily.

Let’s claim God’s promise of freedom this week!

Prayer—“God of freedom, thank you for sending Jesus our Savior to free us to be with you. Help us believe that promise and live it out in our world. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”