FREEDOM THAT RISKS HARM TO ONESELF
Protestors in several countries recently commemorated the anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman who died in police custody in Iran last year. Amini had been arrested by morality police for allegedly violating Iran’s mandatory headscarf law. Her death is believed to have resulted from beatings inflicted by Iranian police. News of the tragedy triggered massive protests across the country that threatened to overthrow the Islamic regime. Though the uprising was violently put down, women in Tehran and elsewhere could be seen openly flaunting the headscarf rule. Amini’s efforts to win freedom were celebrated by anniversary gatherings not only in Iran but also in England, France, Italy, and Germany.
FREEDOM THAT RISKS HARM TO OTHERS
Paul countered the claims of some people connected to the church at Corinth who were saying that freedom in Christ meant they were freed from restrictions of any kind. The apostle argued against such libertinism, saying that the freedom we have in Jesus is not meant to be license to sin—nor should it be used to cause others to stumble. If our flaunting of freedoms harms the faith of others, then we are not walking in love.
Questions
- What freedoms do you enjoy now that you or others had to fight for?
- Why do people sometimes flaunt freedoms that others do not have access to?
- How can we keep our freedoms from becoming a stumbling block for someone else?
