Everyone is born to be free, but soon finds themselves in chains. This is not because of politics, unless referring to the governance of the soul. Within each person, desire fights with reason and desires too often win. Not that desire is bad, in place, desire adds sweetness and joy to life, yet we so easily develop a sweet tooth! Saying not now or not in that way to desire is possible, but never easy. Humans make external laws to help and there is nothing wrong with the laws.
It is good to say: “Don’t steal.” and sometimes it works. We don’t steal because we fear the power that is behind the law whether that power is legal or social. This external governance of desire is not much good for us, however. Often all it does is inflame desires. During a fast, the forbidden foods are never far from my mind!
We want beauty, goodness, truth, justice, but we too often settle for cheap trash, social conformity, poll test values, and winning. We are like Scrooge in Christmas Carol: wrapped in the chains we forge in life.
Perhaps the silliest response to all of this is to pretend that we do not want more. We can be content with placating our desires, because that is all there is. This is silly, because we know what should and might be. Affirm us in our desires, tell us that our natures are all there is, was, or ever will be, and we rebel internally.
There should be more and there might be more. We know of exceptional men, people like Socrates or Plato, who were almost free. They came closer and were thus happier. You cannot cure hunger by stating there is no food and that there never has been food.
We want food nonetheless.
We are in chains, but want to be free. Society can say all they wish, that our over consumption, our bloated Black Friday celebrations, are freedom, but this is just the lie that our slave masters tell us to placate us and make us docile. Desire fuels our discontent.
What is to be done? The man who is a slave to his own desires cannot rebel against his master. We need help and thankfully help came.
But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
Christmas is the great chance at liberation from a man born free who stayed free. He became a pattern for us. Law inflamed desire, but this man obeyed the law joyfully. He did not need the Law, but this man recognized the goodness of the law. As a result, he was the only fully free man. He did what he truly wished because he learned to obey the deepest desire of humankind: union with the Divine.
God showed humankind how to be human by becoming a man and doing it. If we wish, we can follow this example and be adopted into a rebellion against the slave master. The good news is that as man, Jesus born of a woman, showed how it could be done. As God raised up to Heaven, Jesus is able to help us do it. He can give us the grace to strike off the chains.
What of desire? Must we kill it? We must not kill it, because it is part of us. We must allow it to be transformed from the master to the servant of the soul. Desire can return to providing the savor, the sweetness, the joy to duty. Liberty is not a killjoy, but finding of true joy. Slavish desire leaves a hangover, but desire in place leaves merriment.
This is extraordinarily hopeful and also as true as Christmas. Jesus can be born in us. Glorify Him!
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