"Soulful Freedom" - Mark 6:l-13 - July 6, l997

This past week the nation of Hong Kong has changed from Brittish rule to Chinese rule. While much of the world is skeptical about the outcome, the leaders of Hong Kong are confident that their country will maintain its' freedom, that they will maintain a cultural and economic independence.

As we once again celebrate our own independence it causes me to rethink what it really means to be free. We may be a "free" country but we are still governed, have certain responsibilities and must cooperate and get along with our neighbors. Freedom does not give us a license to do whatever we want or have no regard for the rights of others.

This morning I want to talk about another kind of freedom, "soulful freedom". It is a freedom that enables us to live fulfilled and without guilt, to live with meaning and at the same time live with confidence and assurance.
I have never been to Hong Kong but I have been to Southeast Asia. In Singapore they had a law that if you littered the streets or sidewalks you would be imprisoned. They warned US sailors and soldiers to abide by the local laws or face possible punishment. We were guests in this foreign country and as a guest you must adapt to their culture or risk the consequences.

The disciples were reminded that wherever their ministry took them they were to be guests in a foreign land. They were to be dependent on their hospitality, trusting others for their basic needs of food and lodging. It took the church many decades, but the mainline denominations finally discovered that you can’t go into a foreign country and expect them to adapt to your ways. You must learn to adapt to theirs. Once you have learned the ways of the land and established your credibility, then you can do ministry.

This is no less true on a local level. Before one can share their faith with others they must respect where the other is coming from. You must meet them on their turf. This is where the church has fallen short. We expect people to aspire to our expectations, follow our customs, accept our traditions without any regard to their own. I was giving my son a hard time for the clothes he was wearing. I asked what statement he was making. He wasn’t making any statement, they are just in style.

I wonder if we of the community of faith are suffering from paranoia. Are we so absorbed with the outside layers of people that we never get to know what’s inside? When you are guests in another persons home, or land, or nation, you must respect them first, before you can have any chance of sharing who you are and what you believe.
Jesus gave his disciples the freedom to go into other places and the freedom to expose themselves to strangers. He did not expect them to shun foreigners or resist the opportunity to travel in different places. He also instructed them to travel light. They didn’t have to have motel reservations, months of supplies or lots of cash. What they needed was themselves. He wanted them to learn trust and be content with whatever their host or hostess provided.

Real freedom is the ability to live without being dependent on all the things society says we need to exist. I was hanging up some new clothes in my closet the other day but it was too crowded. I thought to myself, I need to get rid of a few things and make room for the new stuff. Our lives are much the same. We are not free when we keep adding stuff, activities, responsibilities, etc. unless we are willing to let some other things go. To travel light means to replace the old with the new.

Jesus instructs his disciples to travel light and remember that we are guests in the homes of others. He also told them to "shake the dust off their shoes" when those they visit reject them. Jesus doesn’t want them to feel guilty when they fail. Not all their visits will be successful. Not everyone will be receptive to the gospel. Rather than keep going over old territory they are to journey to new ground. For us this means we don’t have to feel guilty when we are not successful. But, it doesn’t mean we should quit either. Instead we are to find new places to go.

Early in my ministry I had been struggling to get this old country church to make a few changes. On the wall they had an attendance board. It was a time when they taught us in seminary that people get discouraged when they have to look at the stats of the church especially during worship. I convinced the elders to remove it, which they did without complaint. The last weekend before I left there was a wedding. And following the wedding they put all the furniture back, including the attendance board.

Perhaps your life seems to be stuck, or you can’t get over a failure. That’s the time to move on. It may mean moving. But , it could be just making new friends or changing your life style. People are stuck when they can’t get over past failures and shattered dreams. They are not free. That’s why Jesus wants us to shake off the dust from our shoes and move on. Only forgiveness and the grace of God truly sets us free. By traveling light we are free from the many burdens of life. And we are free by remembering that real living requires trust and dependence on God.

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul's United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio