David Bahn – Reflections

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

² Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. ³ I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. ⁴ You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. ⁵ For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. ⁶ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

⁷ You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? ⁸ This persuasion is not from him who calls you. ⁹ A little leaven leavens the whole lump. ¹⁰ I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. ¹¹ But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. ¹² I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

¹³ For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ¹⁴ For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

My vicarage supervisor (and father of my good friend and traveling buddy, Steve) is a giant. Even though he is in an assisted living community he and his recently-departed wife set up Bible studies there, made evangelism visits and saw at least two people baptized – right there in the facility. Will Sohns and Lynn, his wife were a great blessing to Diane and me those many years ago. I highly respect him. Recently he has written a book, The Great Sending, and a second follow-up God’s Sending Heart. The Mission of God has always been front and center in his ministry.

I recall his constant focus on God’s love and grace, on the central focus of true Lutheran theology: justification by grace through faith. He would regularly make the point that truths of Scripture and theology must find their source in justification, and lead the person to the same. I can hear him say, “It’s important because it impacts the Gospel!” Indeed it – whatever it is – is important because it impacts the Gospel message.

This is what Paul is saying here. The issue wasn’t just about circumcision. It was about how that requirement nullified the Gospel and undercut the grace of God. He writes, “I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.” 

Then he makes the point that the Gospel message leads us to embrace the true Law of God. He writes, “For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” In this context he is not speaking of the Old Testament ceremonial laws regarding circumcision, sabbath restrictions, or dietary limitations. He is speaking of the Law of God in the truest sense. Jesus made that clear: Love God and love your neighbor, he taught.

The fellowship we have in the Gospel of Jesus is a fellowship of love, grace, truth, and forgiveness. It is a precious fellowship that is celebrated at the foot of the cross and the empty tomb. It overflows in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are the fruit of the Holy Spirit and a reflection of the character and nature of God.

Arrogance, hubris, judgmentalism, and harshness has no place in the fellowship of the redeemed. And as James reminds us, “The anger of man does not accomplish the righteous things that God desires” (James 1:20). Thankfully we’ve been set free by Christ Jesus. We are free to love and serve one another as we thank, praise, serve, and obey God.

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

² Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. ³ I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. ⁴ You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. ⁵ For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. ⁶ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

⁷ You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? ⁸ This persuasion is not from him who calls you. ⁹ A little leaven leavens the whole lump. ¹⁰ I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. ¹¹ But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. ¹² I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

¹³ For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ¹⁴ For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

I preached at Trinity Lutheran Church in Amarillo last Sunday, and shared the Max Lucado fishing story from his book, The Eye of the Storm. It’s a humorous and disarming account of a trip with is dad and friend Mark that Max took as a young boy. Foul weather rolled in the night they arrived and set up their camper. They went to sleep dreaming of their day in the sun, not realizing they would be stuck inside their camper for the next few days. The weather outside was blustery and cold. The atmosphere inside the camper was hot and contentious. He draws a moral from his experience with his dad and friend Mark. “When fishermen don’t fish, they fight.” It’s a delightful story, worth the read – as is the whole book. Send me a message and I’ll send you my copy of the story.

I thought of that as I read Paul’s warning, “But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.” I can think of few things sadder than church fights. I’ve seen people leave church meetings in tears because of things said. I’ve been the target of unfair criticism and fair criticism delivered unkindly. I’ve experienced few of these, thankfully, but one is too many for God’s people to experience. 

Then I think of Martin Luther. He was not exactly uncontentious. Granted he was put into a corner and had to stand for the truth. But it got him excommunicated. And he lived as an outlaw from the Holy Roman Empire until his death of natural causes. Sometimes you have to stand for the truth – as Luther did. But another contemporary of  Luther, Rupertus Meldenius, was more inclined to collaboration. He famously said, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” Luther’s close colleague, Philip Melanchthon famously expressed the near identical phrase.

But in Galatia, there were church fights about doctrine that Paul could not ignore. He had to stand against those who were adding to the gospel: requirements of circumcision and other Old Testament Laws. It is not clear whether they were requiring these converts to go as far as following the rituals of the Mishnah regarding extra Sabbath or dietary rules. But their insistence on requiring circumcision in order to be fully accepted into the family of God endangered the Gospel message itself.

We must never cede the Gospel in favor of even the finest sounding extra requirements. But more often than not our conflicts within the church are about preferences, and matters of opinion about which honorable men and women can disagree. In that case, civility must prevail. Jesus has freed us from the curse of the Law, from condemnation, and from the power of sin. We honor him best when we love and serve our brothers and sisters in Christ, holding them in honor and esteem – even if they want pink paisley carpet in the chancel… well maybe not pink!

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

² Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. ³ I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. ⁴ You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. ⁵ For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. ⁶ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

⁷ You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? ⁸ This persuasion is not from him who calls you. ⁹ A little leaven leavens the whole lump. ¹⁰ I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. ¹¹ But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. ¹² I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

¹³ For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ¹⁴ For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

The idea of the camel getting its nose under the tent is that once it’s there, it’s just a matter of time before the camel is in the tent. And who wants that?!? Answer: the camel! The term is related to the domino theory. Once the first domino falls, the rest will surely follow. Falling dominoes or intruding camels’ noses are not good things. The initial intrusions or tumbles lead to far worse consequences.

This is what Paul speaks of here. And he is adamant! The implications of agreeing to go along with the Circumcision Party’s requirement that the Galatians submit to this part of the Old Testament Law were so drastic that Paul gets carried away with his invective: I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves! That’s pretty extreme. 

Paul is distressed at least in part to the fact that he was being persecuted by these Judaizers. They were insisting that Gentile Christians observe the Mosaic Law (circumcision, dietary laws, etc.) to be fully included in the people of God. Paul was being persecuted because he had consistently proclaimed the gospel of grace through faith in Christ alone, rejecting the idea that circumcision or other works of the Law are necessary for salvation. This gospel message undermined the Judaizers’ belief system and threatened their authority and influence.

But the stakes are high. So high, in fact, that Paul warns the Galatian believers that if they fall prey to this requirement they had fallen from grace. This is the worst possible outcome of this small little compromise.

Not applicable to us today? Just ask the woman who carries on an innocent emotional affair with her office colleague only to give in to temptation and a full-fledged sexual affair. Ask the young man who tried crack cocaine just once only to be pulled into the vortex of addiction. Ask the youth who experiments with sex – just once – and discovers she’s pregnant at the age of 14. Ask the middle management accountant who fudges the figures to cover his gambling debts and ends up broke and without a job when he’s discovered.

Not every sip of whiskey leads to an alcoholic’s nightmare. But there are legitimate dangers we must avoid when dealing with any potential domino effect action. In the case of adding any additional requirement than faith to our salvation the dangers have eternal consequences. Certain clothing. Specific worship forms. Contrived initiation rites. These are the poison-tainted Kool Aide which we must not drink!

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

² Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. ³ I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. ⁴ You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. ⁵ For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. ⁶ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

⁷ You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? ⁸ This persuasion is not from him who calls you. ⁹ A little leaven leavens the whole lump. ¹⁰ I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. ¹¹ But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. ¹² I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

¹³ For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ¹⁴ For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

If you could wave a magic wand and be freed from anything in the world, what would you choose? Financial freedom? Addiction? Fear? Despair? Lust? Disease? Heartache? Anxiety? Freedom from having to work?

All of those freedoms – good as they may be – are really temporary, until the temporary turns into eternity. In the life of the world to come, there is no despair, heartache, anxiety, addiction, fear, lust, or burdensome work. This is the freedom to which God calls us in Jesus Christ. Paul says, “It was for freedom that Christ has set us free.” We have been set free.

Paul is speaking primarily of freedom from the burdensome requirements of the Old Testament Law. In fact, Peter speaks of the Law in this way, “Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?” He’s speaking of requiring the new gentile converts to follow the Old Testament laws. And he admits no one had been able to do it.

Except Jesus. Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament Law, the prophecies, promises, and was all that God had wanted Israel to have been. They had failed miserable time and again. But Jesus never failed. He never wavered. He never gave up – even in the face of terrible resistance and temptation, and suffering. He is our righteousness, and he has freed us from the curse of the Law, the curse of death, the curse of sin, and the power of the devil.

In him we are free.

There is, however, a caveat. Martin Luther put it this way in his treatise, The Freedom of a Christian (1520). “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.” This is a paradox that, through faith in Christ, Christians are completely free from the demands of the Law and the need to earn salvation (justification by grace through faith). However, as recipients of God’s grace, we are also called to serve others in love, reflecting Christ’s example and love.

Once we get off of the treadmill of doing good so that we’re safe from harm, danger, or judgment, we will find great peace and true freedom. We’re free – not to do as we please in hedonistic pursuit of every distraction and sin, but to serve one another in love. We’re free to give the forgiveness we’ve received, for we don’t have to worry about running out. We’re free to serve one another freely for we’re not trying to gain anything by our acts of kindness and grace.

All this is because Christ has opened the way to everlasting life – a life of joyful freedom to thank, praise, serve and obey God. Without fear or the need to prove anything to anyone.

Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. ²³ But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. ²⁴ Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. ²⁵ Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶ But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷ For it is written,

“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;
    break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
    than those of the one who has a husband.”

²⁸ Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. ²⁹ But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. ³⁰ But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” ³¹ So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.

I noticed a hiccup recently in the posting of my podcast of these devotions on Spotify. I have a suspicion about why this was so. I think it may be because of the title which included the word, “Cuba.” I have only a suspicion about this. My data is only anecdotal. It could have been simply an internet glitch.

But I know we were very isolated while we were in Cuba. I could not get to the New York Times from Cuba. Again, this is only anecdotal. But it was my experience. I didn’t try other websites. And it may be that I simply wanted to play Wordle or Connections, and was thwarted in those attempts. But it was clear we had no easy access to the outside world while we were there.

Internet connections are important to us today. We want to be able to get the weather, receive and send our emails, text and message one another wherever we are in the world. Some also want to connect to Facebook. We long for connections – even virtual connections, the imitation of the real thing.

Think of this also in terms of the church. When I am working with a congregation that seeking a pastor, and in the call process, they greatly value their connections with the Texas District. When I was first in ministry, I greatly valued the connections I had with other pastors in our circuit. I would travel 4 hours one way to attend circuit meetings.

As I matured in ministry I gained more appreciation for connections within the congregation. I remember many years ago a meeting with parents of confirmation-age students. They wanted to improve the confirmation program. Their ideas were amazingly helpful. I see now how true it is that we are better together.

We might be tempted to ignore or despise our connections with our church body. Our connections with one another in some cases may impinge upon plans we would with to pursue. But we are part of the Body of Christ. And that puts us into connections of all kinds. All of them, necessarily, will be difficult. And sometimes painful.

Here Paul speaks of the blessings that came from being connected to the free woman, the mother of the child of promise. We are sons and daughters of the free woman – brothers and sisters of Christ. We’re connected to the promises of God in Jesus, and those are the most valuable connections of all.

If you wish to see some of my photos from this trip, you may see them in my smugmug gallery.

Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. ²³ But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. ²⁴ Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. ²⁵ Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶ But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷ For it is written,

“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;
    break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
    than those of the one who has a husband.”

²⁸ Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. ²⁹ But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. ³⁰ But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” ³¹ So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.

Our trip to Cuba was under a program called, “Support for Cuban People.” This allowed us to travel to and in Cuba, but we could not do business with any government business. No hotels. Nothing that could be beneficial to the Cuban government. So we could stay in privately owned casas. These mom and pop entities reminded me very much of the mom and pop motel my parents built and in which I grew up. Some of these casas were very nice. Others were more serviceable than nice. We managed to survive in every situation – including the one in which we had no electricity the whole night.

Some of us wondered why the people wanted to live there. Recent reports indicate that Havana lost 15% of its inhabitants over a three-year period, bringing its population below two million—a level not seen since the 1990s. Cuba’s population as a whole has been declining in recent years. Since 2022, over 850,000 Cubans have emigrated to the United States, marking the largest exodus in the nation’s history.

The United States is large in the view of the people of Cuba. It was the good news to them that Cuba has been removed from the list of nations that support terrorism. Many expressed worries about how the Trump presidency will impact the Cuban economy. They see the United States as a very desirable place to be. Families are often split with some in the US while those in Cuba long to be with them.

So much of this is about freedom. And although the Cuban government supplies education and medical resources for all citizens, there is also a parallel (gray) market. And people will find the way to pay for better quality.

Every day bread vendors hit the streets. They blow whistles to alert people that bread is available. They provide loaves of bread to those who have the ration tickets. But there are also bakeries where people can buy bread. The ration-bought bread is inferior quality and people will do what they can to earn money to buy the parallel market bread.

I don’t want to establish a direct link between freedom in Christ, governmental freedom, and higher quality of life. But it’s difficult to ignore what seems to be a correlation. Furthermore, missiologists have identified a phenomenon called, “redemption and lift.” This concept is rooted in discussions about how Christian faith and redemption in Christ can lead to positive transformations in individuals, families, and communities. It highlights the idea that when people come to faith in Jesus, they often experience tangible changes in their lives, which can include moral, social, and even economic improvements.

Our motive for sharing the message of Jesus is not so that we raise the living standards of those who come to faith. It is so that they can experience the fullness of God’s love in Jesus, and give him the honor he rightly deserves.

And he deserves a lot of honor and has much love to shower upon us!

If you wish to see some of my photos from this trip, you may see them in my smugmug gallery.

Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. ²³ But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. ²⁴ Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. ²⁵ Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶ But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷ For it is written,

“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;
    break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
    than those of the one who has a husband.”

²⁸ Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. ²⁹ But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. ³⁰ But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” ³¹ So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.

We took a sidecar tour of Havana on our first night in Cuba. It was quite an experience. One of our Northwest Houston Photo Club members has friends in Cuba who are members of the Sidecar Club there. They ride Russian motorcycles with sidecars that they continually piece together with parts they salvage and with the help of tools Jan brings them when he visits. This last time he brought two suit cases with 70 pounds each full of tools and parts for the club. They were happy to take us around. And we were happy for the adventure.

A highlight of our tour was a trip to the large Christ Over Havana statue that overlooks the city. I was struck by the fact that it was actually there. I was led to believe that there were few if any Christians there, and that they were not allowed to express their faith openly. Someone, however, didn’t get that memo, and the statue stands lit at night and overlooking the city.

I love the idea that a depiction of Christ stands tall over the city of Havana. I’m sad it is only a symbolic statue, and not a reflection of the faith of more of the Cuban people.

As Paul wrote to the Galatians he was pointing them to the freedom they had in Christ. They didn’t need to add any other religious rituals or ceremonies in order to be authentic Christians. Jesus has done it all for all of us.

Statues and crosses may remind us of our Christian faith. They may be quite helpful to focus our minds and hearts on Jesus’ sacrifice and God’s love. They may also, in the case of the saints, remind us of the examples of those who have gone before and beaten the path hard for us to follow in the way of Jesus. I am reminded of John Baillie’s prayer for the morning of the fifth day of the month:

O you who were, and are, and are to come, I thank you that this Christian way in which I walk is no untried or uncharted road, but a road beaten hard by the footsteps of saints, apostles, prophets and martyrs. I thank you for the sign-posts and danger-signals with which it is marked at every turn and which may be known to me through the study of the Bible, and of all history, and of all the great literature of the world. Beyond all I give you devout and humble thanks for the great gift of Jesus Christ, the pioneer of our faith.

– Diary of Private Prayer, by John Baillie

I thank God for those who light the path and point us toward Jesus. I pray that some may be moved to repentance and faith in him through this statue so beautifully expressing Jesus’ lordship over Cuba and his kindness and grace he so freely gives.

If you wish to see some of my photos from this trip, you may see them in my smugmug gallery.

Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. ²³ But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. ²⁴ Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. ²⁵ Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶ But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷ For it is written,

“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;
    break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
    than those of the one who has a husband.”

²⁸ Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. ²⁹ But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. ³⁰ But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” ³¹ So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.

I described, yesterday, some of the realities of life in Cuba as I saw it. I made some comments about the impact of socialism on the lives of the people there. I believe they were fair and accurate. But that’s not to say life there is unbearable. As I was just recently reminded, we learned that we could survive in less than ideal circumstances through our experiences there. Electricity is really nice, but not a true necessity. Internet connectivity makes possible these blog posts. And bumpy roads are at least roads. We managed quite nicely through it all.

More than that we enjoyed some really nice experiences. The people we met. The music we heard. The food we ate – albeit we did get tired of beans and rice at every dinner, they were delicious. And the vistas! Mountains, valleys, forests, flowers, birds, sunsets, the (few) churches, and ocean waters. Those you can see here.

Paul’s recounting of Hagar and Sarah, their freedom, slavery, and ultimate blessings reminds me of the blessings of freedom we enjoy – and so often take for granted. Last Sunday we got up and went to church. Gathering with fellow believers we enjoyed the “mutual conversation and consolation of the brethren” (cf. Smalcald Articles X) was such a blessing. Martin Luther considered that almost the third sacrament. And I never worry about getting into trouble for expressing my Christian faith or praying.

Freedom is a gift of God which has far-reaching blessings. We tend to think of those blessings on the basis of our personal benefit. That is true. But Hagar – though the slave woman – was protected by God. People in Cuba enjoy the same universal blessings of God’s daily provision, the benefits of natural law, and rain and sun. The difference, however, is more than our personal benefit. The difference is the potential for us to extend God’s goodness and grace to others. We’re free not only to worship Jesus, but to spread the message of his love.

The sons of the free woman shall be more than the sons of the slave. We must recognize the freedoms we have are not only for our personal benefit, but for the spread of the word. Our fellowship is not only for our personal encouragement and refreshment, but for strength to honor Christ in all we do. We live and move and have our being. Not only so we can draw breath, but so that we can share the breath of life and peace with others that comes through Jesus.

May he draw others to himself through our freedom-founded witness!

If you wish to see some of my photos from this trip, you may see them in my smugmug gallery.

Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. ²³ But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. ²⁴ Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. ²⁵ Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶ But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷ For it is written,

“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;
    break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
    than those of the one who has a husband.”

²⁸ Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. ²⁹ But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. ³⁰ But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” ³¹ So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.

Diane and I just returned from a very interesting trip. Several members of the Northwest Houston Photo Club went on a PhotoFly trip to Cuba. In many ways Cuba is in the grips of their socialist leaders and system. For example a university graduate makes the same as salary as a high school dropout. Their infrastructure is in shambles. We had electricity about 50% of the time. The roads are potholed and mostly devoid of modern transportation.

On the other hand, Cuba is full of people for whom Jesus died. Some very few of them confess him as Lord and Savior. Most seem blithely ignorant of his proper place in their hearts and lives. And yet there are many delightful people there.

Because we stayed in private people’s homes – casas, which are like bed and breakfast spots – we got to meet and speak to several Cuban people. One of our hosts, Maria, told Diane her story. Her daughter is a dental/medical worker in Miami. She misses her greatly. There is great sadness in Maria’s heart. So Diane prayed for her and her daughter. “El Senior… in Jesus’ name. Amen.”  It was the highlight of our trip.

We can only hope that she and many others will one day be free to know and worship Jesus. We can only pray that somehow she will be the one who can hear these words:

“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;
    break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
    than those of the one who has a husband.”

There are barren and forlorn people all around us. You may know one. They need to hear God’s word of hope and grace. They need to discover where joy is found. They need to believe that God is able to restore lost hopes and rebuild hopeless dreams.

If you wish to see some of my photos from this trip, you may see them in my smugmug gallery.