Independence

THURS., JULY 4, 1985, 2:50 PM
FARM, STUDY

This is a day of rest in remembrance of a time in history when this country of yours declared a war for independence. It is a continuing focus for patriotism, and you feel a certain amount of pride in your country. You wonder if this is something of which I approve. On this day, o son, you shall receive some words that enlighten.

My most basic premise is that the political condition or situation is not a vital factor in spiritual growth, which, of course, is My major concern. While I do not approve of repressive regimes that make life miserable, physically and emotionally, for many people, I am not overjoyed with societies so free that they encourage apathy toward Me. I lived My life as Jesus in a time and place of political oppression. My story would not have been a better one if I had lived in 18th century America after a successful revolution.

The fundamental fact of the spiritual life is that the spirit is only totally free when it is in close relationship with Me, and when it is free the nature of the culture makes little difference. It is one of those paradoxes for which I am famous… freedom is the result of giving yourself to bondage in Me. As you try to be free, you do so at the expense of relationship with Me, and hence lose freedom, rather than increase it.

Political freedom is very ephemeral and uncertain. As some achieve what they consider freedom, it usually is at the expense of others. Some Americans feel that their freedoms are hampered by taxation, but if this were diminished, others would suffer because of a loss of government payments, either in welfare or in wages. When I said “Give unto Caesar…” I was implying that taxation was legitimate, even as it usurped perceived freedom from some.

I am not opposed to the kind of freedom that this country of yours provides. But it is not the ideal human condition for all, and some of your country’s attempts to reproduce this system in other places is not pleasing, particularly when it is implied that I am wholeheartedly behind the military or economic intervention. Simply mentioning My name or invoking My blessing does not guarantee My approval. “Ask anything in My name…” was a bit too grandiose, and simply doesn’t apply, particularly in political, economic, and military matters.

You have a great deal of independence, and you wonder, sometimes, how it would be to experience oppression and dependence. As you visit Raymond and see his developing dependence and his fast diminishing independence you find it hard to imagine yourself in such a state. Yet I call it a good spiritual exercise to do just that. Think of yourself in that wheel chair and try to imagine how your spirit could still be exhibited and how it could still grow.

Your ample salary from your State government gives you a good deal of independence. Consider the state of independence if this source should renege, for whatever reason. How would this affect your spirit? Without the glasses through which you see clearly your independence would be much more limited, now wouldn’t it?