Yesterday wife-Rachel went with daughter-Jo to our local wildlife park. Her story of the day was of her close encounter with a lion… in a cage, behind glass.
Meanwhile I was bird-watching. In a ditch, close to our house and a busy main road, was a little egret – a small heron…
Rachel’s lion… my egret… I started musing on freedom, and the ‘choices’ these creatures have…
Yesterday I read about Moses leading the Jewish nation out of slavery, across the Red Sea and into the desert, without food or water. Today God gave them the ten commandments, raising more questions about freedom and choices.
Three things yesterday… freedom and choices…
…Reading an excellent article by Sarah Sedgwick about the Christian parents of LGBT kids. She tells the story of Ruth and her daughter’s transition, the double mastectomy and Ruth nursing her daughter through the after-effects of surgery.
Ruth’s Christian convictions mean that she cannot affirm her daughter as trans, but she fears that she will be judged and labelled transphobic by the friends she worships with each week who endorse transgender identities.
Ruth’s daughter has exercised her freedom to choose; meanwhile Ruth she has lost her freedom to grieve the loss of her daughter.
…Watching the news of the Nottingham stabbings in June 2023. Valdo Calocane stabbed and killed teenage university students Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber, and 65-year-old school caretaker school Ian Coates,
Calocane’s plea of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, quoting paranoid schizophrenia and psychosis, raise questions about his freedom and choices.
At the same time the victims’ families spoke of their contempt, ‘rage and pure hatred’ towards killer; freedom and choices have been taken from the victims and their families.
…Remember watching Jesus Christ Superstar – the image of Jesus dying. Cruelly beaten, nailed to a cross, in the throes of death he cries ‘Father forgive them…’ At a time when he has apparently lost all of his choices and freedoms he is still free to forgive…
malcolmsmusings.org 
Malcolm—this is a beautiful post. I enjoy your musings. “Freedoms and choices”. Forgiveness. To me, it’s about forgiveness and love. We all have choices. Just as we have a choice to love and forgive. Thank you for always giving us great thoughts to ponder as you share the truth of how Jesus lived…and died. For us! On another note, I pray for those who feel loss. Always. I’m never to judge. SO I’ll have empathy, compassion, and understanding as a Human. I enjoy the nature pics and I look forward to visiting those areas myself. Stay blessed and safe. I appreciate you!
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Thank you Karla, for your kind words. I’m increasingly aware that feedom isn’t always what it was cracked up to be. Perhaps that’s what the ten commandments was about… Also I’m aware that as I exercise my freedom I can restrict the freedom of others…
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You’re welcome, Malcolm. That’s beautifully said. Such wise words! Thank you! Freedom comes with many responsibilities.
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“Freedom to forgive” is a powerful thought to nurture and practice throughout life. 🙂
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It seems to me, Nancy, that that is one freedom that we can’t lose…
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