There was a prisoner who was held in a cell for many years. Every day at a certain time the jailer would come and open up the door, set down a plate of food, close the door leaving the prisoner alone. This happened for years. Finally one day the prisoner said to himself, “I can’t stand this any longer. I’ll do anything to be free. Even if I die I will try to overcome the jailer and escape. I will get out of here even if it costs me my life.”
So next time he positions himself right by the door waiting for the jailer to come. As he crouches and waits he leans against the door and to his surprise and amazement the door begins to open. He tentatively steps outside of his prison cell, immediately sees other guards who see him and simply smile as he continues to walk away unopposed.
Rumi said,
“Why do you stay in prison, when the door is so wide open?”
The Eagles sang in “Already Gone”:
So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains and we never even know we have the key.”
Jesus said:
“I am the way, the truth and the life.”
“You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”
“He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives… to set at liberty those who are oppressed.”
What if we’ve made up the prison in which we find ourselves?
What if freedom was as simple as making he decision to step out of the prison we’ve been holding ourselves in?
What is your prison?
How do you imprison yourself?
What fear binds you, holds you captive?
If it was not for your fear who would you be, what would you do, how would you live?
The prison is a door we have closed. The chains are the chains we have bound ourselves with. And with our decision to be free they can fall away at any moment. How powerful our own choices are. And we are able to step out of our distorted perceptions at any time and know the freeing truth – that which is only real. What is real? Only love is real. What is true? What is freeing? We are loved beyond our imagining. We are at our core, love itself. And our purpose our true freedom lies in knowing who God is, who we are and in giving ourselves away in love.
I think this is the truth Jesus preaches about and talks about. And perhaps he won’t do it for us – free us, because it’s something we have to do for ourselves and choose to do – believing in and living in the truth.
Oh, how much misery I create for myself with my fear, my ego, my distorted thoughts and negative thinking.
But it’s for freedom Christ has set us free.
May I choose to be free. And in the awareness and the choosing O God you will do the miracle of setting me free.
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