Freedom and Responsibility
I believe that one of the tensions underlying much political division and rancorous debate today is wildly different understandings of our responsibilities to one another. Some advocate mask wearing and vaccines, even supporting mandates, believing that we have a real obligation to one another. Others see individual freedoms and responsibility as the defining American value. This concept plays out in many other areas such as how we treat the poor, tax the rich, what costs do we share for things like education and healthcare, and more. Of course, this isn’t the only issue causing division, but it is a major one that, as far as I can see, is rarely addressed directly.
God has given us free will and created us as distinct, individual creatures. Yet it is also clear in the design of creation as well as in the Scripture that God intends for us to live in community and to share both resources and responsibilities. We are connected to one another and to creation.
I have been in ordained ministry, preaching and teaching the Bible for over 30 years and one truth that becomes more and more clear is that God neither creates nor desires lots of individual followers. He wants a community. Abraham and his family. The nation of Israel. Jesus and the disciples. The Church. It is always about community. Of course, it is individuals who make up that community, and ultimately we each come to faith on our own. The individual believer is called to choose community as an act of free will. But the reality is that, chosen or not, we are in community and the choices of one impact others in myriad ways.
Sunday’s Epistle and Gospel have two different, yet stunning statements about this responsibility: James writes, “My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” (James 5:19-20, click here for the full passage)
Mark records these words of Jesus, “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea.” (Mark 9:42, click here for the full passage)
Mark reminds us that we have a serious responsibility to live cognizant of how our choices impact others. It is never just about me. James calls us to go out of our way, perhaps even dangerously so, for the sake of a brother or sister. We have a responsibility to be proactive toward one another.
It is beyond the Scriptures to map out exactly how this plays out in a complex and diverse culture. Therefore, I’ll not try to map out the details here. But I do believe that these Scriptures remind us that as individuals, we have a profound individual responsibility to live sacrificially in a way that serves others, not just ourselves. While we are individuals, we are inexorably bound in community and that is both a wondrous gift and a serious responsibility. Pray that the Holy Spirit would guide you in finding this balance in your own life, and that you would set that example for others.
This column appeared in the September 26, 2021 edition of St. John’s eNews. Click here for the complete issue.
If you are reading this at a different time, you may click here for the current eNews.
