Freedom and Suffering
1 Peter 4:1-2
“Not only action, but also suffering is a way to freedom.”
—LETTERS AND PAPERS FROM PRISON
While we would all prefer a freedom that can be expressed and realized in the world around us, sometimes we are called to possess a freedom within ourselves which cannot as yet be realized in our social structures. Some men and women with a vision for justice have spent years in imprisonment. Freedom for them is not a possession, but a hope. They suffer for their freedom in the hope of bringing to birth a freedom that can be practically realized. Because freedom usually comes at a cost, we need women and men who, having counted the cost, fight for justice.
Thought
To embrace freedom may involve embracing suffering, for freedom must always be won from oppression and injustice.
What is your prayer thought for today’s lesson?