My grandpa did incredible leather work. When I received a new Bible as a teenager, he offered to make a leather Bible cover for it. I sorted through all of his patterns to select a design for the cover. I knew the right one as soon as I saw it; a horse running at full speed with his mane and tail blowing in the wind. The addition of my initials at the bottom completed the design. My grandpa and mom both seemed surprised. My mom asked, "Why did you choose that instead of a cross or something religious?"
I answered, “Because it’s a picture of freedom and that’s what this book is all about.”
For those of us in America, this time of year reinforces our foundation of national freedom as we celebrate our independence. On July 4, 2010, I wrote that the fibers of American's national freedom and Christianity's spiritual freedom were once wound tightly together. (Click here to read that brief article.) However, that rope was unraveling then and the strands are looser now than even three years ago.
For our many readers outside of America, national freedom may be an unimaginable concept. Some Grow Barefoot readers live in places of tyranny and dictatorships. Civil rights are unheard of as oppression based on gender, religion, and social class abound.
The freedom offered through Christ surpasses all man-made situations, however. Freedom in Christ is available for those in America and nations that will never taste national freedom. Freedom in Christ abounds for men and women, poor and wealthy. He patiently waits to pour His freedom out on those with a history of Islam, atheism, or any other religion - including nominal Christianity.
Freedom in Christ goes much further than a promise of eternal life. Freedom in Christ transforms how we live right here and now during our life on earth. It helps us relinquish our control issues, overcome our fears, prioritize our lives, and even extend grace and freedom to others. (Click here for more on any of these areas.)
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