Gary Holloway said, “Freedom in the U.S. is about leaving me alone and doing it my way. Freedom in God is setting my own way aside for God and others.”

Ouch.

Truth.

As Americans, we declare our freedom as our right to do what we want. People better not infringe on our rights. We claim our personal rights to do whatever we want (some of us have a “within reason” clause, but what is “within” or not varies from person to person) as fought for, earned, and deserved.

We’re wrong.

We declare a right to things that are a privilege, a responsibility, a blessing, and in some cases, a burden. A right and freedom are not the same thing. Freedom requires humility, community, and compassion.

Freedom isn’t about our personal ability to go where we want and define our own boundaries. We don’t have the wisdom and perspective to know the impact what we do and say (and don’t do and say) has on others. Our relationships with others matter. Others matter. Every time you claim something as your right before someone else’s, you declare you’re more important, that you’re the priority, that you care more about yourself than another.

Maybe that’s true. But it doesn’t make it right.

Freedom comes with responsibility. If you claim freedom, be ready to carry the responsibility well.