Chance or Divinity

Looking out into an endless sea
Of ripples, waves, and tides,
My eyes fail to see
Much beyond the rising swell
That grows yet close
To my lonely vessel,
Swan-prowed
As the ships of elder days.
Caught in the strong west wind,
I am driven ever onward
Into that perpetual blue,
Where sky and sea meet
At horizon ambiguous.
Fog rolls over the deep,
Clouding my view
Of my silent companion,
The sun above.
In melancholy strain,
I sing a mariner's lay
And hold the course
As accurately as I may;
Yet, I know, indeed,
That my destination,
Over the restless foam,
Is yet unknown to me,
For where I first designed to go
May be many leagues now
From where my ship is going,
Led by an unknown navigator.
Though I know not his mind
Or his very identity,
I am at least content
That I do not travel alone.
It remains to be seen,
However,
Whether my companion be
Mere chance
Or Divinity.

Freedom

So I was thinking: what is the truest form of freedom?

It seems as though if we were truly "free," we would be able at any moment to decide what we will do, what we want to do, and be able to do it. Yet, it seems as though we are bound by a thousand limitations. Thoughts of consequences, morality, previous engagements, promises, duties, and expectations are just a few of the things that prevent us from simply relying on what we "want" in all circumstances. We are bound to these factors, even when we are free in a legal sense.

But imagine a world where these things did not exist, where nothing stopped us from the inclinations of our thoughts and hearts. Imagine the chaos that would result. Is it worth it to risk a stable society for free choice? Is that truly freedom?

No, I am afraid it is not. We must needs, by the nature of this system, be constantly subordinated to the whims of one another, for nothing stops any from doing what they choose. If someone chooses to do something opposite of what you do, then you or he/she must submit to the will of the other or be utterly crushed by one another into an endless, empty neutrality.

No, no true freedom can there be on earth, even if all limitations were removed. Yet, I wonder what the freedom of God means in light of these things. Is it a different kind of freedom? Or is the difference merely one of degree? The Bible says that we are no longer slaves of the flesh but of the spirit; yet, we are still slaves.

Given this analysis, it seems likely that freedom is not even something that we should ultimately seek. It is not the chief end of humanity to be "free"; rather, it is to "delight in God and bring him glory," implying a kind of service.

Yet, in this service there is something that true, stark freedom does not offer: hope for peace.