We have seen liberators in the course of history: some deserved to be highly appreciated, because they delivered us from oppressors and all sorts of slavery; others, more ambiguous, wanted to liberate us from our wealth, our independance, indeed our liberty.

God wants us to be free, but truly free not only on the surface. He came in the depths of our humanity. He sent us his Son as liberator. He teaches us ''the truth shall make you free'' (John 8:32). What is this truth and from what does it liberate us?

An element of the response is that Jesus wants to teach us to consider things and persons around us in truth, to take them for what they truly are.

He wants to free us from the idols that we fabricate and venerate unceasingly and without good reason. It is not a matter of considering the world around us to be far from true reality. We just have to understand that the things of this world are not everything, despite their usefulness, their necessity and even the pleasure that they bring. Moreover, persons are neither things, nor gods.

In imitation of Jesus we have to have another look at the world: a liberation, perhaps less imediate, but more sustainable than any economic or technological progress could ever procure for us. It is a world without idolatry where Christ wants us to live. We can see there the reflection of the beauty of God in each of his creatures.

Brother Marc Bellion
In French, Advent in the City, Meditation December 13, 2012
http://www.aventdanslaville.org/date___2012-12-13