I love the freedom of cycling.
I’m not sure everyone understands what I mean when I say that.
Some reading I’ve been doing reminded me of the apparent paradox of freedom as a follower of Jesus. In some ways it’s like cycling.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)
Many people think following Jesus is all about rules and a long list of stuff you can’t do. Of course it’s not like that at all. God doesn’t provide guidelines because He doesn’t want us to have fun. He just knows how we were designed, and He wants what’s best for us.
I’ve been on a couple of team tours. When someone gets a flat tire, several riders stop. They don’t have to stop; there’s no rule. But they stop anyway.
On the first day, one rider might keep going. But the need to be first and fastest quickly becomes a burden. There’s a difference between freedom and isolation.
We were created to operate in community. By the third or fourth day, most riders figure out that interdependence works better than independence. We get down the road better as a team than as a bunch of isolated individuals.
On the other hand, a rider may choose to ride alone for a time. Solitude allows space for reflection and introspection; it’s one of my favorite things about cycling. Other team members respect this decision because they understand the difference between solitude and isolation.
I can’t imagine anything more chaotic, or less enjoyable, than a tour on which every person did their own thing and looked after only their own interests. Even when they’re free to do so, they don’t, because that’s just not how we were designed.
It doesn’t work for the team. In the long run, it doesn’t work for individuals, either.
I think that says something about how we ought to do the rest of life.
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