For the Love of Freedom

Freedom.

Beautiful balance is found in that word.  Freedom creates symmetry stirring our souls to rejoice and burning passion into our forethoughts, our beliefs, our sensibilities and our certainties.  It encourages our peregrinations. Freedom demands our minds to energize our visions, our lungs to empower our voices, and our footsteps to incite our revolutions.

Freedom lifted the sails of the Mayflower.

Freedom shouted “Give me Liberty of give me Death!”

Freedom inked the signatures of the Declaration of Independence.

Freedom guided the stitchwork of Betsy Ross.

Freedom resounded “We the people…”

Freedom declared “Ain’t I a Woman?”

Freedom refrained “Let us die to make men free.”

Freedom crossed the Mason-Dixon Line.

Freedom caught fire in a Birmingham jail.

Freedom.  It is as valuable of a commodity today as it has been at any time in the history of our world.  Over one billion people are crying out for freedom from unsafe drinking water, over 400,000 innocent lives have been lost in the ongoing Civil War in Darfur, between 500,000 to 2 million individuals are estimated to be currently enslaved in human trafficking, and laborers’ rights across the globe are in question.  We live in a desperate time that requires injustice to be rebuked and freedom to be promoted.

As Americans, we will celebrate Independence Day this weekend.  While we have a long legacy of freedom for which to be proud, we must remember there is still more work to be done.  We must shed our cloaks of ignorance and complacency to put on the robes of awareness and readiness. What would we be if not for freedom?  And what may we accomplish if, for the love of freedom, we continue in its pursuit…wherever it takes us.