How do you react to the idea of ​​being tied down? Is it good or bad?

Many people react negatively. Tethered means “not free; bound; tied; restricted; connected.” Don’t people naturally want to be independent and on their own? Tetherball was fun as a kid, but life tethered sounds bad. You’d be prevented from doing what you want to do. Let’s think about that.

I saw two examples of tethering on my walk this morning. There is a large pond in front of a residential building and in that pond there is a floating aeration fountain. It is tied (by a cable) to the wall around the pond. This prevents it from drifting away from its prime location. Got it. Later I saw several dogs on walks around the lake. They were all tethered to their owner so they wouldn’t wander around and cause trouble. I’m for tethering. Dogs need leashes. Got it.

OK, but we are human. We have worth, dignity and rights. Should we be tied down? Do I need to be held in my place and controlled? Most adults, not counting some young idiots, would agree that some level of tethering is a good thing. A human being adrift and unattached is a dangerous thing. If that sounds offensive to our species, it is meant to be. History and daily life prove that we humans do not deserve full, maximum freedom. We need to be tethered. I hope you agree with me. It depends on who is doing the tethering, though.

Here are three examples of tethering from the Bible. These are a cord, a rope or a bridle, i.e. tools for helpful connection.

• The prophet Amos wrote about a “plumb line,” a carpenter’s tool used to make sure nothing was crooked. “The Lord stood by a wall that was built plumb, having a plumb line in his hand.” (Amos 7:7) It was crucial that this plumb line be tied down and hanging straight.
• The Psalmist wrote: “Do not be like a horse or a mule, which have no understanding but can only be controlled with a bit and bridle, otherwise they will not come to you.” (Psalm 32:9) He doesn’t call us mules, but he means that an untied mule would cause trouble. Us too?
• Thirdly, there is this teaching from King Solomon: “Do not let loyalty and faithfulness leave you; bind them around your neck.” (Proverbs 3:3) We must be committed to God and the good things he has for us.

I say being tied down is a blessing, not a curse. An isolated, lonely person is not good. We need connections, boundaries, restrictions, and networks. It is best when we are not forced to do stupid things. In the Christian life we ​​have two bonds that are good for us: the Holy Scriptures and the community of faith.

We cannot simply believe and do what we want. The Lord has given us His Word, both in law and gospel, to bind us to His will. As our Lutheran constitutions stated, “The Holy Scriptures are our only authority in all matters of faith and conduct.” We are bound by God’s book. This is a very good thing. (Heretics have good intentions, you know).

Secondly, we have the church network of brothers and sisters in faith who support us. They pull us back when we lose ourselves in strange ways. Be happy about your second family, the church, which holds you tight in love.

In closing, I would like to quote a similar idea from one of our brilliant founders, President John Adams: “We have no government endowed with power to cope with human passions unchecked by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or bravery would break the strongest bonds of our Constitution, as a whale breaks through a net. Our Constitution was made for a moral and religious people only. It is utterly unfitted for the government of any other people.”

We need connection, as individuals, as Christians, and as a nation. To be unbridled and disorientated is devastating.

Chris Brekke is a retired pastor who served for 13 years at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Rochester and for 10 years at Trinity Lutheran Church in West Concord. He and his wife live in Roseville, Minnesota, where he is involved in volunteer work, church activities, and family life.