Recently I’ve taken
on a new ministry as temporary pastoral administrator at Nativity in Brockport, New York.
The learning curve is steep and quick, and the amount of names and information
to cram into my mind is very large.
You know what factor
of this new time has pushed me into new lines of thinking? Codes, access
numbers, PINs and passwords. They govern
our passage through so many doors. I needed to learn, retain and use at least
ten new ones for garage doors, security systems, websites and specialized
documents. A friend of mine has her
access list on her computer: three pages of them.
So what I have been
thinking about, then, is what is free for everyone’s access? Air, the weather,
the ideas, inventions and discoveries of
the centuries, library books, certainly, and most certainly God’s presence and
gifts.
Freely have you
received, freely give, Jesus says in
Matthew 10.8.
You will know the truth and the
truth will set you free. (Jn.8.32)
To the thirsty I will give freely from the font of life.
(Rev.21.6)
Christ has set us free, so stand firm and do not submit
again to the
yoke of slavery. (Gal.5.1)
The freedom of God is
given to us not to be kept for ourselves, but to share with others so that they
may become free as well.
Let’s think about
that as we enter the world of access prohibited without a code.
