Fragile Freedom
By Dr. Chris Seiple on 28 June 2010
June 25th marked the 60th anniversary of North Korea's invasion of South Korea. Many of us didn't remember. With good reason, historians call the Korean War the "forgotten war."
The Korean War Memorial is the most simple and moving monument on the Washington Mall. Located to the left of the Lincoln Memorial, it is a squad of soldiers on patrol, their ponchos unable to stop the elements, their weapons at the ready. The inscription: "Freedom is not Free."
You don't have to remind the South Koreans. It takes but one glance north to see what could have been—a totalitarian state where one man rules. More than most, South Koreans appreciate their democratic state where a transparent law rules.
Christians believe that their freedom is not free either. They believe that their freedom was bought on Good Friday, and that Easter morning confirmed this priceless gift, "a perfect law, the law of liberty" (James 1:25). This law is so perfect that it affords everyone the freedom to reject Christ.
It is a strange thing to think that we can honor God by working for the freedom to reject Him. Nevertheless this freedom of conscience is Christianity's starting point, the difference between a religion so weak that it is intolerant of the other and a faith so strong that it loves the other.
This fragile freedom is also the starting point of a principled pluralism in government and politics—where the other is protected by the state and respected by the society. It is the difference between a government so weak that it cannot tolerate differences and a rule of law so strong that it protects diversity and creates a level playing field.
Whether you are a Christian or not, whether you believe in just war or not, certainly the anniversary of the Korean War is a day that Americans can remember with some pride; we have helped enable freedom in many parts of the world because we understand that freedom is not free. Freedom is bought at tremendous cost, and requires ongoing investment and vigilance. And so we must finally remember that its maintenance takes place through the daily demonstration of living peacefully and respectfully with our deepest differences.
Note: An earlier version of this column was published on 25 June, 2010 by the Washington Post/Newsweek "On Faith" blog.
Last updated 28 June 2010