By –Yolande Vincent
“You gotta fight for your right to party” is the chorus of a song I remember from the 90s. It was sung by the Beastie Boys and released in 1986. Lyrically not the most wholesome song, but definitely catchy enough to remember.
This phrase is the epitome of humanness. As a born South African, I only have a small understanding of how much fighting this country has been through for human rights and freedom. The fight people have had to fight to be considered equal humans, to have a say, to be heard, and to be free. Currently, we are fighting for running water and working electricity, as it’s our right to fight for basic human needs and services. Women fight for equality and safety daily. Children fight for their right to food and education. These are worthy fights. Do fight these good fights.
We do, however, live in a time where there are also some unnecessary freedom fights being fought. We like to fight to have our individual say, freedom of speech is our right. We like to vomit our comments on social media about the government and people’s choices and contradict their individual comments, and their freedom of speech. We forget the power that our words and comments carry, but it’s our right to have our say and speak our minds. We like to fight for our feelings, and what we feel goes. We like to fight for our doings, whatever we feel like doing, no one has the right to tell us any different. We believe we are free to say, feel and do, as we please, regardless of the consequences.
The Bible, however, gives a very different perspective.
1 Corinthians 6:12 MSG says: “Just because something is technically legal doesn’t mean it’s spiritually appropriate. If I went around doing whatever I thought I could get by with, I’d be a slave to my whims.”
When we walk out our journey with Jesus, it seems that these rights are not all this life is about. It seems the party Jesus had in mind; is not quite the one we like to fight for. The freedom He had in mind, doesn’t quite seem like the freedom we like to fight for daily. The Bible has very little to say about our rights as humans. There are quite a few inhumane stories in there. When we choose a life with Jesus and choose God’s way, we give up our rights. Yet, Jesus refers to that as freedom. What a contradiction to our understanding and basic human rights!
The party Jesus had in mind is likened to a very different Kingdom, a very different way of thinking and doing.
Matthew 5:3-12 MSG
3 “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
4 “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
5 “You’re blessed when you are content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.
6 “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.
7 “You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.
8 “You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
9 “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.
10 “You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.
11-12 “Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.”
How different is that from how we live?!
Galatians 5:13-15 MSG says: “It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows. For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out – in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then?”
If we are going to fight for our right to party, let it be for this kind of party. Let us fight for our freedom, our freedom to be counted in God’s Kingdom. Let us fight for our freedom to love each other as we love ourselves. Maybe the time has come for us to give up our rights, our rights to our say, feelings and doings, to truly be free.
Me minus my rights = freedom
Me plus loving others = freedom