Freedom — Personal and Corporate: What’s It All about?

Last night I wrote of freedom on a personal level. I will again tonight, because any consideration of freedom and the deprivation of it begins on a personal level.
However, I want to start with the more corporate aspect of slavery, whether it be forced as has occurred throughout the history of humanity and in America in particular, or political, cultural/societal, or economic slavery. How have people under some horrid conditions survived? Why did they endure what they did? Of course, I cannot really answer this here, but I want to make a few points.
Freedom begins, thrives, and lives in those who have realized freedom fromEgo-dominance. They have discovered Heart; therefore, they have freedom tolive life according to Heart. Many people can live personal truth, Purpose, Heart-reality in the context of daily life regardless of government structure or the type of society we live in. Remember, though, that we are social creatures. No man is an island.
Please allow me to shift gears. I just returned from walking my puppies. It’s 10:30 p.m., in the time zone where I live. While on the walk, I was thinking about where I would take this. I’m exhausted, so I must take my own thoughts with a grain of salt — just being real here.
Issues of freedom and slavery are not only philosophical concepts, but also they are emotional. They must be because we are emotional creatures in addition to being social creatures. So I must assume you would allow me to speak of my own experience if we were face to face.
When I was about 19 or 20, I dated a young lady who was not of my race, and since most of you don’t know me, I will tell you I am white. At the time, I lived experientially in the mentality of evangelical christianity; however, I have always been idealistic. I believed that the original philosophy and design of christianity was a universal acceptance in love of everyone. I never considered nor did it even cross my mind, that people in the small church group I was associated with would have such harsh, judgmental antipathy about me dating someone not of the same race. I was disillusioned, disheartened.
But it was worse than that. Because I was young and showed promise of being a good teacher and speaker, I was taken aside and schooled about races. I will tell you, honestly, that such brainwashing attempts were fruitless with me. They made me more determined than ever to show them the error of their thinking. Today, I would expose Ego-reasoning but leave them, walk away in blessing. Then, though, I listened, rebelled mostly silently, and determined I would show them it could be different.
I was told the races of darker-skinned people were from the children of the cursed progeny of Ham, Noah’s son who disrespected his father. Oh, I was given a very logical-appearing breakdown of the nations that sprang from Noah’s children. I won’t even judge the accuracy of that, and I don’t need to.
But I do judge those who operating when in Ego and using self-righteous, superior sounding “logic,” decided that all are loved by God, but some are superior in status and privilege and deserve to make the decisions. You know, people like fascists, dictators, white supremacists, or christian fundamentalists. Or, horror, those who want to “make America great again.”
Do you know why there has been such a backlash against ISIS, against the current administration in America, and against right wing conservatives? I will tell you. They are enslavers. They would make all of us slaves to their beliefs, their version of a universal truth that all should align with. They won’t allow for personal truth and lives of freedom based on that. They won’t allow for the sort of common humanity care of those in poverty and sickness. They will spout some platitudes, but they will also be quick to draw conclusion and lines about “we all make choices and have the same opportunities.” No, no we don’t, not when it comes to a society, culture, government, or religion that squashes and oppresses those who are not like themselves.
You know what? I dated my young lady friend until we parted ways for other reasons than race. I defied the right-wing religious bigots by gaining a place of leadership for a couple years and allying with an ecumenical group of other religious leaders, and I caught backlash for that. Didn’t care. I left all of that behind, too, for several complicated reasons.
Ultimately, I have never and will never understand the unabashed Ego-blindness — god, I will say it here because I am tired and emotional: stupidity — of those who truly believe they have the right way for everyone and will be “generous and loving” as long as they stay in power and maintain control and safeguard their hidden-agenda bigotry. And this is what I would wish to expose by Heart-light and true love for all, including the bigots.
The social and political contract America was established on, and it must be the basis for American society, is “that all men are created equal.” That term men is universal, whether the Founders meant it then or not, the document and our constitution was meant to grow, to expand according to Heart-progress, I believe. Therefore, there is no equivocation. All means all. Do not tell me you wish to make America great again and despise or fear or limit Muslims or Buddhists or Christians. Do NOT, especially, tell me you have the right to take ANYTHING else away from Native Americans. And do NOT tell me that those in poverty, especially African Americans, are that way because of choices they have made. (Oh, if you want to start looking at individuals, then take a much closer look at the actual statistics.)
Well, I must draw this to a close. Freedom means we can love and accept and encourage one another in fullness of who each is. Now, let me get back to the beginning, because there is one caveat here. And that is my least common denominator. This love, acceptance, and encouragement can only emanate from Heart-energy.
Those who have rejected Heart and sold out to Ego don’t get this because they don’t want it; however, they don’t get to suppress, oppress, repress, or enslave any of the rest of us. The challenge is that many who do rule are wealthy, and we grant God status to such. Stop that. It means NOTHING.
Spiritual awakening to the Heart operating system, knowing who we are, knowing that Ego is ever-present and running and we need to value that part of Self but keep it in check, that is the key to living in freedom, personal and corporate.
Blessings as you consider these ideas!