One of my relatives used to say to me that his life was like living in a prison, a prison without walls. Now I can understand what he really meant. Actually everyone is living in their own prison, setting up fences around themselves. Sometimes the fences define an individual's comfort zone, a professional boundary or a private matter. If people could not get out from their own walls freely, it might be like living in a prison. We know that no one should want to go to jail. Why? Because in jail there is no freedom at all and no way to exit until being released. Unfortunately every jail in Canada is full of prisoners living in the bondage of punishment for their own criminal sins.
Except the medical professionals or visitors to help and support the patients, most people are also very reluctant to go to hospital. Hospitals in Canada have been known as some of the best institutions in the world in many ways, including quality of service, research and facilities. Almost every Canadian may have been hospitalized at some time for some reason. So people get used to going to the hospital whenever there is a need. But I am sure that no matter how good the hospital is, no one wants to stay there for long. However patients have to stay in hospital until being freed from their sickness or being discharged by their doctor.
When the early pioneers came to Canada and developed communities, building churches was a prime priority. The church building was located in a central place in the village and the church played a significant role in gathering people together. As a community centre, the church used to be full of people every Sunday and every special occasion. But it is not that way anymore. Nowadays church has become one of the least popular places to go. Every church has a lot of empty seats. (And you are always welcome to fill one!) But I believe that among these places, a church is still the most attractive and most likable place to go when people have to select the one place where they must go.
An interesting thing is that the Bible quite often talks about all these, the bondage of sin is like being in prison, the bondage of illness like being hospitalized, and the bondage of truth is in church. As we all know well, as long as we are living in this world it is impossible to be free from all kinds of bondage which surrounds us always. But in the bondage of truth, everyone and anyone can be free from other bondage with forgiveness and healing. That is the reason why Jesus said, "and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free" (John 8:32). We are not able to be free on our own but when we know the truth then we can be freed. Indeed Jesus who is the truth makes us free from all our bondage!
