Choice

What is the relationship between love and choice? Where do the principles of liberty intersect with the teachings of Jesus?

I know that God doesn't force anyone to believe or obey, but wants us to come to Him of our own free will. To choose to serve and love Him. The reason he didn't create a world of automatons who worship and obey Him has something to do with the nature of love; that choice is an essential part of it all.

The movie "Matrix" really threw me for a loop. But the part that hit home for me was the fact that the achilles heel of the matrix was choice. The freedom to choice (red pill, blue pill...etc.) somehow screwed up the evil system of the matrix universe.

I struggle sometimes to understand where Jesus would be today politically. I mean, there are passages in the Bible in which the early church is basically communal. And Jesus said to sell everything you own and give it to the poor. Yikes.

But I don't think Christ followers must be communists, or socialists, or even democrats. There are two points upon which I ponder:

1.) Natural / Individual rights: I believe all of us are born with rights that should be defended (by governments and by ourselves if need be). I, for example, have the right to live, and therefore defend my life. I own my life (no one else has any natural claim over it) and thus I have the right of liberty. From these two things flow my right to my own labor and any property I create or accrue through my labor. I believe these are God given rights and that if a government violates them it is not longer morally valid.

That, in a nutshell is why I believe in the principles of the Constitution and small government. But where is Jesus in all of this? What is the relationship between defending my individual rights and serving and loving my God? I really don't know.

2.) Liberty = choice. A republican political system in which sovereignty resides in the people is all about choice. We must choose all the time! Politicians, initiatives, ballot measures, not to mention how we earn a living, raise our children, spend our free time...etc. There is so much choice that it is almost too much. It is like sin. God created a world with choice, but inherent in that is the possibility of choosing to do wrong. To sin. Oh, I'm reaching here. I know. But I know there is something about choice that is key to ...what? success? love? life? But at the same time, choice carries a heavy burden along with it - the burden of choosing evil.

I need to read more. I bet John Adams has something to say about this. I just love him. He was so grumpy, yet so spot on. He studied all the ancient republics to understand why they fail and applied them to the Massachusetts constitution. Did you know that his constitution is still is use today? It is the oldest actively used governing constitution in the world. Pretty cool.