Let Freedom Ring!

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind.
—Luke 4:18

On this day each year, our nation honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It was more than 47 years ago that he spoke from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. You may have stood on those very steps when you visited Washington, D.C. He called the nation to let freedom ring:

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.'"

"This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, 'My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.'"


Forty seven years is a long time ago, yet the call to ring the bell of freedom is with you every day. But sometimes people get complacent. Sometimes people forget what freedom really stands for at the individual level. In the busy-ness of life, hurried and harried people seek to control; even stifle the voices of frustration, concern or worry. At times you can become burdened by those in your care who constantly ask questions or ring the call bell, or your associate who doesn’t quite understand how to do the work and is forever asking "how." Perhaps it is at the office, in the warehouse, or at home with your spouse or children when busy-ness replaces justice, frustration replaces compassion.

Freedom is at risk in moments like these … freedom for you and for them. You help freedom ring each time you reach out, reach up, reach down or reach across. Perhaps all they seek is freedom in their world; a listening ear, an answer, a decision, a touch, a smile, a reassuring word.

Freedom rings when you consider another’s truth and his or her perspective. It takes an intentional effort to listen, to commit time, to really seek to understand. It is not easy, and is less easy the busier your day becomes but it is even more important to help freedom ring when people see you as a person of power or influence.

It may be hard to think of yourself as powerful but consider this: working in health care, using a stethoscope, having medical, procedural, institutional knowledge gives you power. You know your way around; a visitor has no clue. You know the disease and treatment process; a patient only knows they are out of control and dependant on another for their care.

So let freedom ring each moment of each day: at home with the kids, in the clinic, in the waiting room, in the office or in the procedure room. Let freedom ring. Listen to your brothers and sisters. Hear their story understand their point of view.

When we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: "Free at last! free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"