Liberation Bound

"If you have come here to help me, then you are wasting your time…But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together."
--Lila Watson

"It is for freedom, that Christ has set us free..."

--Paul (Galations 5:1)

There are two things that I see each and every time I look at the face of any human being:

1) Life: Eyes blink. Facial muscles contort, contract, and relax. Grins widen or tears fall. In the face of any human being, animation shows us life.

2) Imprisonment: Wrinkles show signs of aging. Dark rings under the eyes show signs of fatigue. When a young vibrant child falls off their bike, their eyes wring out tears that seem to convey the message that something is awry and that we were not made for this world in its current state.

Our faces link us together. They are the universal human commonality. In them we see the dichotomy into which we were born: life imprisoned. We attempt to protect ourselves from this reality with every conceivable measure of comfort, security, and use of resources. However, the question that I offer is can it be escaped? Can we ignore the suffering of others, individually grab our bootstraps, yank them to the heavens and expect to fly and save ourselves? I think not. Since we are all in this together, we must face what afflicts us together, understanding that it cannot be eradicated from all if it remains in even one.

I signed up to be a Young Adult Volunteer in Tucson, Arizona because I have made the choice to live in the spirit of freedom. I will not entertain the idea that we as citizens of the United States are entitled by God to the resources we have. Nor will I live as if handouts and charity are the road to human harmony. Instead, I will expend my energy on enabling others to live freely outside of the system and ideological stronghold that coerces us into focusing on monetary wealth, capital gains, and heirarchies of power.

On the 8th I begin work at a day labor organization at Southside Presbyterian Church (known for John Fife and the Sanctuary Movement). My objectives pertain to enabling workers (documented or undocumented) to provide for themselves and their families. However, my dream is to hone the strengths of able men, reunite families, and help forge a fraternity of freedom. As I periodically write on this page, I invite those that feel a link to the human condition to experience what is happening on this border with me. I hereby promise to write in the spirit of truth, always making an attempt to preface my personal thoughts and feelings, so that we may observe and learn together objectively. Please, join me. Respond, disagree, and commiserate. Support me with what resources you can, especially your thoughts and prayers.

May we know freedom,

Jacob Owens

Tucson, Arizona

September 4th, 2010