My owner often says how lucky he is to live in the U.K. because it’s such a free country. He says that there’s no dictator or extremist regime in charge. Humans are free to choose what kind of work they do and in which part of the country to live. And of course, they are free to go to church if they wish.
I know where he’s coming from, but I guess parrots see things rather differently. Because so-called “human freedom” can be a bit of an illusion. Irrespective of where they live, or who they are, most humans are still tied down by their own systems and ideals. For example, by the self-imposed pressures of how they look, how much money they are earning, and how successful they appear to be to the rest of their human world. So in many ways, they are not as free as they think they are.
And then we come on to the whole area of licences. If you’re a human living in the U.K., then you need “a licence” to confirm you’ve been born, another “licence” to confirm that you’re married, and yet another “licence” to allow you to officially die. And humans needs licences to drive their cars, their planes and their trains; they need licences to sell things in the street; to watch television; to sell alcohol; to go fishing; to become a Vicar or a Reader in the Church…… There are even licences issued by the government for “bird control,” although my owner still seems to keep me under control without one.
Yes, humans in the U.K. may enjoy a better existence than many others around the world. But they are not really free. They are still restricted by their systems and ideologies. And life for humans, just like the rest of Creation, is overshadowed by the threat of illness and ultimately by death itself.
You know, there’s only one way to enjoy perfect freedom, and that’s through God. Which is why the Bible reminds us that “…..where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17)
We are told that Jesus’ mission to Earth was to win us all freedom:
“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)
And that not only applies to humans, but to all creation:
“……creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God!” (Romans 8:21).
There are no licences or paperwork involved. God’s freedom is there for the taking, if we only choose to look for it, and then accept it………….
