A friend emailed about adjusting to life in a large city across several oceans from northeast Texas. He is grateful to live there, but the noises sometimes unsettle him and cause him to yearn for quiet. There, car horns blare 24/7, street vendors shout for customers’ attention, frequent calls to prayer blast from loud speakers, school children gather in stairwells and giggle, and construction equipment runs night and day. Our friend said that he finally got to sleep the night before at midnight when shops closed, but a loud and boisterous party then began under his window.
We empathize with our friend’s situation. We, too, have booked a hotel room internationally, only to find that it is above a night club. We have visited a foreign city and selected a restaurant for a quiet meal, only to hear the local football (soccer) fans burst in and continue their celebrations. Our friend values silence. We wanted quiet. But others wanted to make a sale, attend religious services, meet with friends, finish the job on time, or celebrate with friends. The thought came, “Aren’t those the sounds of freedom?” Yes, but the key is to sell, celebrate, eat, worship, and work to honor God. Sometimes, that requires that we limit our freedom to respect others.
Do you remember the days and weeks after 9-11? The silence of empty skies felt wrong. Freedom is sometimes noisy! Do you remember Lee Greenwood singing, “I’m Proud to be an American” (“God Bless the U.S.A.”) from Yankee Stadium? Roger was at that baseball playoff game in November. That was a thundering sound of freedom and a moment Roger has not forgotten!
