Ramblin' Dan

Dan Roloff is the editor of TheHighCalling.org, and his blog, Ramblin’ Dan, has a little bit of everything. At times, a theologian, philosopher, comedian, publisher, sports enthusiast, and businessman, Dan offers a transparent look at the high calling of one man’s work.

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In the early 1970s, I remember reading a Peanuts comic strip of great social significance. Walking down the street, Linus sees Charlie Brown building a snowman. Linus says, "From now on, all snowmen must be made under adult supervision." He goes on to read an announcement,  "Snow Leagues now being formed."*

Charles Schulz knew the dangers of control. He illustrated it through children’s play.

Also in the early seventies, esteemed German theologian Jürgen Moltmann published Theology of Play. In that book, Moltmann makes the following point about socialist control of freedom:

Now socialist mass sports have become the new safety valve. So freedom remains under control. If a revival of the creative arts develops in spite of this . . . it immediately constitutes a threat to those who believe “trust is good, control is better” (Lenin). As a matter of fact, the opposite alone is true and humane, “Control is good, trust is better.”**

Freedom has long been a fascination for me—how we use it as a badge of honor or as a club to bully others. Many Americans take pride in living in a free society, where they are free to speak their minds and free to follow their dreams. Other Americans insist they are free to do whatever they want, say whatever they want, and go wherever they want.

Around the world, other countries see American freedom as an intrusion on their way of life. China, Iran, Russia, for example, see freedom differently and don't seem to trust freedom as much as they trust control.

There are examples within our own country where freedom is valued less than control. Some people use freedom to advance their personal need for control. We call it the abuse of power. The banking crisis is one example, but there are numerous examples from the Halls of Congress to the halls of individual homes. Some bosses, parents, and boards want to maintain order by controling others and limiting individual freedom.

Control and freedom coexist in a paradoxical tension. Irresponsible freedom leads to anarchy. Unchecked control leads to totalitarianism. Teenage rebellion is often an example of irresponsilbe freedom. Sadaam Hussein was an example of totalitarian control.

"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). Because “Christ has set us free,” we live a life committed to God’s purpose. Our work is not an expression of control. Through grace, our work is an expression of freedom resting on the promise of God’s grace.

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