Hidden Places

What is liberty? What does it mean to be free?

Typically when we think about freedom we think about control. It means that we can do what want. We have control over our own career. We have control over where we live and in what manner of house we reside. We can choose what religious views we want to believe (or not). Freedom means that we have choices, and one of those choices is our vote.

And yet, as I thought about this a new series of thoughts suddenly struck me. What if we are being programmed to believe that our freedom – indeed, our inherent value as people – is tied to the power of our vote? I began to think of all of the efforts to get out the vote. I considered the negative stereotypes of those who “wasted” their vote or decided not to vote at all. If you do not vote, you are told that you do not value freedom. If you do not vote, you have no power.

This has some very unfortunate consequences. In order to feel like our voice is “heard”, we join political parties. If we want our vote to “count”, we have to vote for a Republican or a Democrat, even if that means that we must compromise our values to do so. The vote has become less about choice and more about control. A great amount of effort is expended to get people to vote a certain way. Millions of dollars are raised and countless hours are spent to basically exert control over others so that they will vote our way, and when our effort fails, we feel lost and helpless. But then we rally ourselves with the thought that in another four years, we will have another chance. Let’s start the campaign now so we are ready. And so it goes again.

But what about the everyday events of our lives? What about our families? Our friends? What about our lifestyles, our everyday choices? It seems that these have started to pale in comparison. We are so eager to campaign and get people to change the way they vote that we no longer consider how it is that we should live. We focus on the elections instead of the activities in our communities, churches, and schools. The vote has become just another form of slavery – a slavery to the god of manipulation and control.

Instead of raising money to elect people to increase welfare spending, what if we gave that money to relief organizations? Instead of spending millions of dollars on lobbying, what if pro-life activists spent their time and money actually helping pregnant women by providing emotional and monetary assistance throughout the pregnancy? What if instead of trying to force changes from government action, we simply made those changes in our own lives?

Another danger of the vote is the illusion of control. As many of us are beginning to realize, our vote really doesn’t mean a whole lot in our current government, but millions of Americans are convinced we are free because we have elections. We have been fed the lie that voting equals freedom when that may be the furthest thing from the truth.

So what is freedom? I think there are two vital foundations to freedom: 1) understanding our intrinsic value, and 2) having a proper understanding of control and influence.
Every human being regardless of race, gender, age, political party, nation of origin, or even mental and physical capabilities has intrinsic worth. This value comes directly from the Creator himself:

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
(Gen 1:27)

We all stand equal before God with the value and liberty endowed by our Creator. This is something that simply cannot be taken away from us. Why do we in the Ron Paul movement desire a currency based on precious metals? Because they have intrinsic value. It does not matter if it is a misshapen lump taken directly from the ground or a skillfully crafted piece of jewelry, the metal still retains its base value. It does not matter if the United States government is defunct tomorrow, the American silver Eagle will still be valued due to the value of its silver content. Just like precious metals, we all have an intrinsic worth that can never be taken away, and just like silver coins, our intrinsic value is the same across all of humanity. We are all valuable whether or not we have a vote or a voice.

While we often are put in a position where we can control or greatly influence others, there is one place in which no one can exert control over us: our reaction to life’s circumstances. And this is where I believe freedom ultimately lies. Freedom is the ability to choose our reaction to our circumstances. This freedom, once gained, cannot be taken away by anyone. They can enslave us or try to manipulate us, take our possessions, ostracize us – whatever they like – but they cannot take away our intrinsic worth or our ability to choose our attitudes and reactions.

Freedom ultimately comes down to our ability to control ourselves. It should not be used to control or manipulate others, though if we truly live a life of freedom, those around us will be profoundly influenced. In fact, we will have much deeper and profound influence on others than we would by trying to enact change through legislation.

In writing this article, I have been convicted that while I often talk about these issues, I do not do nearly enough to enact my philosophies. This week I plan to contact local relief organizations to volunteer my service to people in need. In this time where we know government is going to let us down, we can be a real offer of hope and help to those around us. I want to be a part of the action. I want to demonstrate my faith and beliefs in my actions.