.: liberated creatures :.

Those who have truly been set free have nothing left to lose. Yet these are the people that appear to be the largest threat to our so-called way of life, the games we have taught each other to play. They are the ones who have not bought into the lie that says that we must protect ourselves from everything and everyone around us. They are the kinds of people who have been liberated from the perceived need to self-preserve. Their guard is down, for there is nothing worth protecting that can ever be taken away from them. As everyone else works to maintain the "facade of okayness", they are the ones who continually give themselves away in the hopes that others might also find real life. These people carry themselves as ones who can no longer be controlled, not by anything nor by anyone. Their will is set free to do what it was created for. They bear a kind of openness that both draws certain souls out, as well as causes other souls to burrow down even deeper. They cannot be threatened, nor can they be any further exposed than they already sense that they are. Their junk is out there for comment and criticism. They are out in the open. They have let down their guard, though it is not due to any sort of failure or weakness.

Because of all that they have come through, they no longer see the need to keep up their defenses. Maybe this is because they know that One is defending them far better than they could themselves. Who knows? But their courage is rare, their strength is unfading, and their vision is 20/20. They are the ones who have finally learned to listen to their lifetime of mistakes. It now guides them rather than disgrace them as it has in years gone by. They seem disconnected from all attempts to humiliate them, for how can you bring any lower those who inhabit rock bottom. Comfort is a luxury that they gave up on long ago. Their methods are unconventional, and their motives are uncorrupted. They tend to give the impression that they can no longer be exploited for any sort of selfish gain. They have been beaten beyond recognition by circumstances and people, so you must look closely if you hope to find one. Their ability to identify oppression is remarkable. They are well acquainted with the kind of suffering that strips a man or woman of all privilege and means of benefit. While we cower from the world, they walk without restraint among the rest of living. We curse them for their freedom, for we ourselves refuse to be that free. They are unrestrained when it comes to how they express their faith. Though their theology may seem poor, their love for others is haunting. They appear as ones that are moved by grace and hope, rather than fear and safety.

We cannot help but notice their willingness to break down walls that remain between them and their neighbor. Their desires look as if they are deeply rooted in something higher or deeper than themselves. Their humility is anything but false. They allow others to speak (and more often than not, misspeak) about them, knowing that their actions will speak for themselves. They are not worried about being misunderstood, for it is something that they have come to expect after all these years. Their joy is intense, captivating everyone around them. They are wise beyond the mastering of any kind of worldly knowledge. They are clever in a way that cannot be taught in an institution, for their education has cost them their lives. These women and men are souls that grant immense light in our dark world because of how they have allowed the Truth to have its way in their hearts. Yet because we so often do not know what to do with them (out of fear or pride), once we discover such a liberated creature, we either dismiss their light... or do everything within our power to stomp it out completely. Their very freedom threatens our resolution to remain in bondage to our addictions. Nevertheless, as we continue to interact with them, their manner of life remains as a constant invitation to enter into the same sort of living ourselves. The subtle disruptions that they create within our hearts potentially become the catalyst for change in us as well.