Freedom

Last night was beautiful here in Brooklyn, so we decided to take a walk after supper.  We didn’t quite make it to the park before dark, so we ventured out to the American Veterans Memorial Pier which is very near to us.  From the pier you can see Staten Island and the Verrazano Bridge, Lower Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, and both the Hudson and East Rivers. 

There is a “tower” on the pier that says Brooklyn remembers September 11, 2001.  Elaine had fun running circles around it!  Too much fun…she wouldn’t stop and smile for me!

I was able to get this picture of the Lower Manhattan skyline.  The bright tower on the left is the unfinished Freedom Tower (I think).  The red building in the middle is the Empire State Building, and the bright pointy- topped building on the right is the Chrysler Building.  While I was admiring the Freedom Tower, thinking again about September 11th, and feeling proud to be an American, something else caught my attention.

A group of Orthodox Jewish people gathered on the pier and set up a bright light.  They began reading their scriptures and throwing pieces of bread into the water.  It is something they do for Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement.  They are symbolizing God casting their sins into the sea.

I am so glad that as a Christian, I have freedom from my sin – right now, and for eternity.  I don’t have to depend on my prayer, good works, or righteous living to hopefully have my sins forgiven.  Through Christ’s finished work on the cross, my sins are already cast into the deepest sea, and removed as far as the east is from the west.  It was saddening to see those people so lost and blinded from the true forgiveness of sins that is available in Christ Jesus.

“He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”  Micah 7:19

“As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12