Freedom is one of THE big ideas. It’s so big that it shapes the course of history. Jesus said, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). He bent the arc of freedom away from our private captivities of guilt and shame with the most liberating action known to mankind. Forgiveness. He set us free to serve God and others. That is freedom in his mind, and he invites all who are burdened and heavy-laden to come to him. In the course of American history, many in the tired and huddled masses have set aside personal safety and come to America in order to have this precious gift because it is so closely tied to a better life.

Possessors of freedom need to think long and hard about what they want to do with that freedom. Freedom has real-world dimensions. There is freedom from … freedom to … freedom for … And in our society, our freedom usually overlaps with someone else’s.

Rights and freedoms are not the same. I wish our founders would have included a Bill of Freedoms in our Constitution along with a Bill of Rights. The exercise of freedom sets a different tone from the assertion of rights, especially when good people reach an impasse. When it seems that my right to push is competing with your right to pull, one of us needs to exercise our freedom and stand down for the greater good.