Liberation Through Christ

For Easter Sunday last month, my congregation held a Zoom worship service.


It was powerful.

In preparation, we watched a video that our discussion leader created about Palm Sunday and the triumph of Christ.

Thinking about liberation, and what brings me to figuratively lay a palm frond at the feet of the Savior has been a cool exercise.

And it reminded me of times I have thought about liberation vs restrictions in the past.

One blog post I wrote touches on ways this has come up in relation to marriage.

I also remember many conversations I've had with others, particularly in graduate school.

Once, early in my program, we were sitting outside on the lawn around our main building enjoying free food and drinks. Someone asked me if I wanted a beer, I declined. A couple of questions later, people were asking me about my religious beliefs, specifically why I can't drink alcohol.

So often in these conversations, I found myself listing off what I "can't" do.

That couldn't be further from the truth. And entirely misses the point.

I am free to make any choice I want. I am, however, not free from the consequences.

God's commandments are set up to help us have the best chance of being healthy and happy in a true and lasting way.

Can I smoke? sure. But do I want to risk becoming dependent on a substance and the many health risks it introduces? No!

Can I drink? sure. But I think I have addictive tendencies and I'm so grateful I don't have to know for sure whether or not I'm an alcoholic. Plus, I HATE not being in control of my body and words and deeds.

Can I have premarital sex? Can I lie and steal and cheat? Yes, and yes.

But what I want is the peace of knowing I am doing what is right. I want guidance from God directly through the Holy Ghost.

It's not really about what I can't do. I want to keep the covenants I made with God because I want what He has promised in return, so that's what I choose to do.

One of the biggest forms of liberation I receive from Christ is a changed perspective. The ability to focus on what really matters. A reminder of who I am, what I am capable of, and the peace and assurance that comes from living life according to God's laws.

Speaks to My Soul Series: Tear Up This Town

Sometimes I don’t really know why I relate to a song so much.

But this line:

I need an answer but I'm always one step behind

That feels more real and relatable than I want it to.

I was talking to one of my friends about starting over. She’s looking for jobs and is casting a wide net. But the reality of moving somewhere where you don’t know anyone to start a new job, alone – it’s daunting.

I need a friend but a friend is so hard to find

Why? Why is it so hard to find a friend?

Here’s one of the reasons:

'Cause it takes time

To be fair, the song goes on to say:

'Cause it takes time
Learning to fly

Yes, learning to fly takes time. But the more I’ve thought about this, the more I realize it is true for most things. They take time.

And we’ll feel differently about it from day to day. Some days we’ll be able to push forward, other days we’ll hang back:

Some days I rage like a fire in the wilderness
Some days I only need the darkness and a place to rest

But I think the unwritten truth here is that if we are willing to put in the time – to not give up before things come together – we’ll be able to do it. Whatever it is: learn to fly, make a friend, find our answer.

Listen to the full song here