"Freewill" is the second track on Rush's 1980 album Permanent Waves. It is written by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson with lyrics by Neil Peart. The song's lyrics deal with the subject of free will, emphasizing that free will is not a gift but rather a choice; explaining that no-one can attempt to evade the fact that they must choose, but that evasion is itself a choice. "Freewill" is Neil Peart's attempt to proclaim a disbelief in God. There are many things that Peart gets wrong in the song, and many things he gets wrong about God. The main thing is that he sees the idea of God as some impersonal puppet master and that somehow belief in spiritual things is futile.
There are those who think that life has nothing left to chance
A host of holy horrors to direct our aimless dance
A planet of play things
We dance on the strings
Of powers we cannot perceive
'The stars aren't aligned
Or the gods are malign...'
Blame is better to give than receive
[Chorus:]
You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice
You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that can kill
I will choose a path that's clear
I will choose freewill
There are those who think
That they were dealt a losing hand
The cards were stacked against them
They weren't born in Lotusland
All preordained
A prisoner in chains
A victim of venomous fate
Kicked in the face
You can't pray for a place
In heaven's unearthly estate
[Chorus]
Each of us
A cell of awareness
Imperfect and incomplete
Genetic blends
With uncertain ends
On a fortune hunt that's far too fleet
[Chorus]
The song is great a musical piece and the words hang together lyrically. But there is no truth in it. Yes there is "Freewill" God has designed the human family with "Freewill" and the danger is that with free will comes the "Freewill" to reject God. This is the one continuous thing since the garden of Eden incident that humankind has "Free-willed" and taken the choice to reject God. We live in a world that has rejected God and the idea of God. The bible tells the story of God and the plan of restoration. From Genesis to Revelation we find a story that involves hundreds of characters, dramatic scenes, battles, intrigue, love, abandonment, loss of cities, slavery, captivity. Biblical history tells the story of a God who is deeply committed to a relationship with his creation. Far away from the idea that God is distant. He is present in his nearness. He is not in some fluffy cloud heaven but inhabits the world today.
God give everyone the freedom to choose him or reject him. The bible is littered with people who have made the choice to reject or to receive God. Rejection has consequences as well as Receiving has consequences. When we often talk about "Freewill" we talk about it in a way that is individualistic and selfish not a "Freewill" that is concerned with the world and selfless. "Freewill" has been used in the past to justify the most horrible of actions and inhumanities. Let's not go there again. In John's gospel we find John the apostle talking about those that receive or reject Jesus.
John 1:1-13
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
John speaks of what it looks like to receive Jesus and what are the consequences of receiving Jesus. John's prologue starts like reading Genesis. We find God in it, we find choice in it, we find here a description of what God is like in this prologue. We find a description also of what happens to the person who receives and does not reject Jesus. We also find Jesus' role in the creation it's self and the relationship that a person will come into because of their reception or welcome of Jesus. John says that we become family, we become children of God. People who are now related to God. The old order of things now reversed. That which happened in the Garden of Eden now over because of Jesus. the "Freewill" Choice to chose has had it's fulfilment when Jesus is chosen. When he is received. We become people who are in relationship with God. The Rush song "Freewill" is an anthem to Nail Peart's understanding of the way things are. My own understanding is not like Peart's. Paradise was lost in the Garden and is now found in Jesus. That would be my own understanding. Far from being puppets at the hands of an impersonal puppet master. Those who receive Jesus take their rightful place as children of God. "Freewill" has led me to the feet of Jesus and I have chosen to follow him" what about you?
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