Only a year ago the revolution known as Arab Spring began when a Tunisian martyr ignited a freedom movement that has rallied hope and support around the world. The Christian Science Monitor reported that the act jarred Tunisians and others to break out of the belief that Arab culture isn’t compatible with freedom and democracy. “. . . Tunisians then felled an entrenched dictator within a matter of weeks. They simply behaved as if they were free, and thus made it so” (“The slap heard round the world,” Clayton Jones, March 5, 2011).
“Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” Christ Jesus taught (John 8:32). This truth includes the knowledge that God is infinite Love that causes only good, and that this Love understood and lived will overthrow the evils humans experience. Because we all have dictators to overthrow—poverty, despair, sin, disease, and all fear—it’s crucial to know the truth that calls us together to claim our right to freedom, health, and happiness.
Different cultures give different names to this truth, but faith in it exists throughout the world. In its fullest meaning, Christ is a term for universal Truth that transcends the religion called Christianity. Christ is the message of God’s eternal love for every single individual, the message that ultimately will dissolve all oppression and division. People in many fields, including religion, are committed to proving that harmonious community among diverse people is possible and beneficial.
