WHITE marks on the sidewalk were the only signs that remained of the massacre. It had occurred when a death squad killed street kids as they slept in front of a cathedral in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Concerned Christians had marked the sidewalk with chalk as a simple monument to these anonymous children.
If freedom means no rules, no parents to tell us what to do, no school, and no accountability for our whereabouts, then these kids were free. Maybe as children some of us even dreamed of having such freedom. But this tragedy helps us realize that freedom is more than living without structure or rules.
Freedom needs a foundation and a purpose to make it valuable. Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, affirms freedom as an important part of the Christian life. But he also says to use this freedom for service and love.
Christians are called to freedom that creates safe places for abused and rejected children, that opens a space for young people to find direction for their lives, that helps people of all ages to find meaning and purpose. Freedom to make a positive difference in the world -- that is freedom indeed!
God of compassion, help us to understand the freedom you have given us in Jesus Christ and to use our freedom and power for the healing of this world. Amen.
