The Exception.

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In America, we think freedom is the norm, but actually it is not. Freedom is the exception.

There are 7.5 billion people in the world, or 7,632,930,349 to be exact.

(World Population: 07/01/2018, 12:43 pm)

37% of the world’s population are not free, 24% are partly free, 39% are free.

(Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2018-Democracy in Crisis: Status by Population and Country 2018)

Thirty seven percent of people living without true freedom is an astounding number, 2,824,184,229 (2.8 billion) people if you were to figure it according to the number of people in the world on July 1st, 2018 at 12:43 pm. Add to that number the 1,831,903,283 (1.8 billion) people who live in countries where freedom is just partial, and having to pay tax in a government founded to preserve freedom does not seem so rough.

There are an estimated 40.3 million people who are victims of modern slavery.

(Walk Free Foundation, July 2018)

I guess you could say that here in America, we are the lucky ones, or ones who by Divine Providence won the birth lottery. We are the exception, waking up every morning to many choices we do not even realize we have because we have never been without them. Freedom of speech, press, religion, and politics. Social freedom, financial freedom (or at least the right to pursue education and employment), freedom to not only think and dream, but to express and create.

Yet as much as I love the land of America in which I live, it cannot offer me freedom from the distressing effects of sin, sorrow, and death. What America does offer me, is the opportunity to freely follow Jesus, who can. Freedom is a gift, and also a choice. We are free to do or not to do, to believe or not to believe. In my experience (shared with 31% of the world or >2 billion people - Pew Research Center 2015), freedom comes not by way of a geographical location but by way of Christianity.

Freedom is the exception.

True freedom is a choice.

I have found it to be an exceptional choice.

Have you?

--------------------“If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36 (ESV)--------------------