True relationships are always the image of God’s relationship, however imperfect. The Jewish religious philosopher Martin Buber coined the phrase: “The extended lines of relationships intersect in the eternal You”. With this he suggests that our often quite deficient human relationships touch in the last consequence still another quite different dimension. Doesn’t love itself have a certain transcendence?

However, there is an area of tension, which wants to be mentioned right away. One of them says: “Now I’m in a relationship, I have problems that I didn’t have when I was on my own”. And as a Christian, there is the added experience: “Now that I am living in a relationship with Christ, I am faced with decisions that I had no idea about when I was still without Christ” . It can happen that we feel caught between moral concepts on the one hand and hormones on the other. Or between the opinions of others and our very own urge to live. Should my being human now be in conflict with my being a Christian?

Ed Young writes, especially about sexuality: we are “never quite sure how our spontaneous, uncensored sexual urges fit into the fabric of Christian moral codes. We can’t help but wonder if physical passion somehow gets in the way of love for Christ” (Ed Young, “Pure Sex,” page 61). We can gladly extend this statement beyond the realm of sexuality.

Some people try to avoid this tension. The extremes are called lawlessness and legalism. One may throw every norm overboard, the other is super-pious in disguise. However, both are not free.

Freedom and liberated life

Liberated Christianity may also – should also! – liberated humanity. The relationship with Christ can and should fertilize our lives. This attitude towards life is neither lawless nor legal, but life-affirming in every respect. But how does it work? The tension between internal and external influences raises questions. When we consciously go into it, we “meet” these questions and find decisions. To decide consciously means that we live and give direction to our lives.

There is no freedom without decisions or commitment. Real freedom comes from a voluntary commitment to a life partner, just as an inner freedom comes from a voluntary surrender and commitment to God through Christ. The apostle Paul testifies: “For you have been called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use freedom as an occasion for the flesh, but serve one another through love!” (Gal 5:13). Called to freedom is only one thing. Only through a devotion and through a service of love is it actively shaped. Liberated life comes from truly lived encounters and relationships (cf. Gal 5:6).

Exchange questions

• From Martin Buber comes the quote: “The free man is the one who wills without arbitrariness” (from: I and Thou).
  Reflect “free”, “human”, “without arbitrariness” and “want”.
• Gal 5:6: “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but only faith working through love.”
  Reflect: “Faith that is effective through love”. (Effective, gr. energes, etym. “one-acting”).
• “Not only deed of love, but the deed of a lover who in this deed of his gives himself, that is – diakonia” (Richard Imberg).
  How does this show?