Freeeeedoooom!

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”.

Last night my husband and I finished watching TURN, a TV series about George Washington’s spies during the American Revolution, just in time to celebrate the 4th of July. Watching this show reminded me of something Jesus said. “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”. Was he talking about spiritual freedom, emotional, or physical? I think he meant all of them. But, like the colonists of America, or African American slaves, or those enslaved by pharmaceutical and other powerful entities, physical freedom begins with mental freedom.

I did not know that I was trapped by false beliefs until I was smacked directly in the face by the consequences of those beliefs. Often, the consequences are painful, physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Accepting that one is deceived, that a better life is possible, can be scary. Casting off the shackles of a corrupt system may mean risking everything we are, putting it all on the line, in the hope of something better. Not surprisingly then, we find that peeling away the layers of fear and falsehood is often a painful and lengthy process.

I know.

I also know that it is worth it!

There is no fear, no comfort we have from remaining in the darkness that can compare with the joy of freedom and enlightenment. This path is not for the faint of heart. It takes courage. It takes wisdom, knowledge, and a fellowship of like-minded revolutionaries willing to stand together to support one another through the harrowing barrage of attacks on our hearts, minds, and bodies as we collectively rise from the burnt ashes of the old, dead beliefs, relationships, and choices we are leaving behind. But from that battlefield arises a promised land- a land fertilized by those very ashes, leading to a Tree of Life that bears sweet fruit.

Above is a picture from a video I made of my last dose ever of psychiatric medications. I looked better than I felt. I’d spent years tapering off of an antidepressant and a tranquilizer, and it would take years for me to function and feel normal again. But revolutions (ie, turning around/transformation) take time. The American colonists fought for 7 years, and then they struggled for years after to learn how to live according to the new beliefs and systems they established. But, as we all know, the revolution was not complete. There were and still are many who have not been liberated.

Now it’s our turn.

Today, while you and I benefit from the courage and perseverance of those American revolutionaries, we also have inherited some false beliefs, and the consequences of these are now hitting many of us right in the face. But for those who have the courage to face these things head-on with love, humility, and inspiration, who have the wisdom to reach out to like-minded souls and combine forces, I believe there is a promised land just waiting to emerge for each and every one of us. It is in the letting go of fear and falsehood that we will establish a new world of freedom. Because truth IS freedom, and only truth will set us free.