This is the peaceful view today from our home here in #America as we look out across the frozen St. John River into #Canada. The winter rainbow is a solemn reminder that God always keeps His promises (Genesis 9:13) and that hope is on the horizon (Titus 2:13).

Canada is a place where generations of my Acadian ancestors settled and forged a life amid hardships and trials unimaginable in our modern age. More than once they started again at their beginnings as their homes were destroyed, land confiscated, and families slaughtered or forcibly separated (e.g., Le Grand Dérangement). This was mostly because my great grandparents had the foresight to choose #liberty over #tyranny and freedom over fear. It came at a high cost!

Over the last couple weeks I have been greatly encouraged to see that liberty is stirring yet again in the hearts of millions of ordinary people. Many of whom never gave it much thought until it was taken away one small bite at a time.

Like so many of you, I am tired of COVID and what it has done to us. Through this pandemic I have worked as an EMT on the front lines. I have also served as a pastor of a local church here in Maine. I have seen people die and have personally lost friends to this awful disease. Some of whom passed alone in a hospital surrounded by strangers and whose families were denied a funeral because some bureaucrat thought that was best. Yet, I believe more than ever what was intended to stop the spread of a virus has actually done far more lasting damage to our people.

You may have heard folks say, “It’s not about the vaccines! It’s about the mandates!” Well, as someone who is willingly vaccinated, boosted, and now with natural immunity after having a breakthrough case of COVID, I couldn’t agree more! Like you, I’m tired of this disease and the path of destruction it continues to leave. However, I’m also tired of the suicides, mental health emergencies, drug overdoses, the increase of domestic violence, and countless broken relationships. I’m tired of watching good people lose their careers and businesses over mandates. I’m tired of hearing of churches whose members have been fined, their property confiscated, and pastors jailed. I’m tired of politicians who won’t listen to the people they supposedly represent. I’m tired of the fear and hatred that has taken root in so many. I’m tired of seeing my wife cry as the days turn into weeks into months and now years apart from our family. Most of all I’m sad for the lost time with our grandchildren who live just across the international border in Canada.

I want to live #free! I’m not talking about the kind of freedom that leads to anarchy which really only seeks to strip others of their inherent rights. No, I desire a more principled #freedom! A freedom that allows me to worship God in accordance with His ways and authority, freedom to think for myself, freedom to speak truth, freedom to associate with anyone I choose (including unvaccinated people), freedom to move about this great land under the confines of fair and reasonable laws, freedom to see smiling faces, freedom to undergo medical procedures of my choosing, freedom to live even in dangerous and riskier times than we are use to. I want to live free!

I stand firmly with those who desire such liberty! May God keep your land glorious and free!

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7

FreedomOverFear

Photo credit: Sandy Mason Caron