FREE!

Today I’m thinking about the word “FREE”.

Isn’t FREE a great word? 
What comes to your mind when you hear the word FREE?

For some, it might mean ‘Free of Charge’, like free tickets to a movie, or a movie that was being offered free to all, no tickets required.

For others, the image coming to mind might be free like an Eagle.
Free as the wind. No restrictions. No rules.

For others it might be free of bondage. Freedom of choice.

And in many, a belief in the ultimate spiritual freedom, freedom from death.

Although these are all very different forms of ‘free’, they’re all pretty good.

FREE sounds good!

I’m writing this on a Palm Sunday, while I’m watching the 1973 movie “Jesus Christ Superstar”, a personal annual tradition for me. Which, of course, I would share with anyone who wanted to join me. But even in the absence of everyone I still watch it alone because it means something to me, and I enjoy it every time.
It’s a combination of all kinds of FREE in my mind.
Seeing it as a teenager was the first time I began to think of Jesus as possibly a real person instead of the storybook character I learned as a child. I know other people have their problems with the movie, and that’s fine. I don’t feel any desire to try and change anyone’s thinking about that.

But I see it as a certain kind of masterpiece.

But returning to the word “free”, I know how I feel when I get something free.
I feel GREAT.

Even little things, like someone buying my lunch or buying me a drink or paying my way. It makes me feel good. I also like the feeling I get when I buy someone else’s lunch or a drink or pay their way. A few rare times it felt awkward or inappropriate or occasionally it felt that I was being taken advantage of (I don’t always make the best choices) but except for those few, I usually feel pretty good about it.

I’ve been blessed throughout my life.
I’ve had it easy, all in all.
I could have done more.

So, whatever I have done beyond my normal day to day, if I have something extra to give, I feel like I should give it away.

For example, If I had made arrangements for our local theater to show the movie “Jesus Christ Superstar” on Palm Sunday, it might cross my mind to charge admission. It might even cross my mind to give that money away to charity. That would be a fun thing to do, and it would help those charities, too! A real “win-win” for everybody…

But you know, I really don’t think I would charge admission. I would much rather just make it a FREE event for everyone who wanted to come. It could be my little contribution to the community. And if no one showed up? Well, I would still enjoy seeing that movie on the big screen, right? (Honestly, if no one came I would probably feel sheepish about it and chalk it up to just another strange idea).

But if people came to my free event and enjoyed it, I know how I would feel.

I would feel good.

Well, maybe that was a silly example.
Maybe a better example would be to think about my artwork.

Should I sell it? Or should I just give it away to whoever really likes it?
If my art became popular, just think of all the good things I could do with that money!
But do I really want to sell them?
I don’t think so.

The art itself came from a combination of all kinds of freedom.
My employer pays me enough to take care of my family’s needs, and I have free space and all the resources I need. I work regular hours and my family is healthy and happy and supportive, so I have plenty of free time. My mind is free. My faith floods my mind freely with a never-ending stream of ideas to share through art, which I want to freely give away to anyone who appreciates them.

Oh, one important point: This is NOT a call to all the other artists and creators out there to give away their creations!
NOT AT ALL. This is personal. This is a private decision from one lone person who is feeling blessed, who wants to show his gratitude for everything he has received by giving.

Whatever I create I want to freely give away like casting seeds into the wind, not knowing where they will land.

Giving as freely it was given to me.