Greetings,

Things are beginning to change for us this weekend with the much anticipated end to lockdown at 11.59pm on Thursday night.  As people who have been living in the most locked down city in the world there is a sense of excitement, and possibly a little hesitation, as things begin to open up.  Whether it’s catching up with family, gathering to celebrate missed milestones, the commencement of sport or a much needed trip to the hair salon, there is a buzz about having these freedoms – freedoms which we have previously taken for granted and have recently missed.

Freedom, however, is more than the absence of restraint.  There is freedom from the constraints of society, freedom to do what we want, and freedom to be not just what we want but who we are meant to be or who we are called to be. 

In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, we are reminded that “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Cor 3:17)  

As people of faith our freedom is something that we can claim whether we are in lockdown or not. It is a freedom that calls us to be people who do more than look out ourselves and what we can get.  The freedom we have is that which can be seen when it is exercised on behalf of justice, integrity and equality. 

As we begin to embrace the new freedoms that are available to us, may we never lose sight of the freedom that we have in the Spirit that continues to journey with us.

Blessings – Heather.