Freedom can mean different things to different people.

To someone who is incarcerated, it might mean release and a return to ordinary life. To someone who pushes the boundaries of conventional behavior, it might mean the ability to look or behave differently than one's peers. Our society and culture in many ways is built on the promise of freedom - freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to choose our own government.

In today's second reading, St. Paul addresses the Galatian church, a group struggling with the notion of religious freedom. They wondered if one had to live like an orthodox Jew in order to be Christian, or if those born outside of Judaism could practice a less "Jewish" version of Christianity.

"You were called for freedom, brothers and sisters," Paul tells them. "But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Paul's message is to non-Jewish Christians, cautioning them to resist using their freedom from Jewish tradition as an excuse for undisciplined living. Paul also talks about a freedom from self absorption and self protection. We are free to relate to God in our own cultural traditions, and we are also free from the need to look out for ourselves, as we have the loving and generous presence of Christ in our lives. Ultimately, Paul says, we are free to serve others.

It can be a difficult thing to accept freedom - freedom that liberates us from the pressure to always take care of ourselves. If you're like me, it is easy to get comfortable feeling "forced" to live a certain way because of the behavior and choices of others. A parent, a spouse, a child, a friend can become the focus of our lives through their needs, real and perceived, and we can feel that we have no choice but to wrap our lives around these people we love.

And while we are called to love our neighbors as the essence of what it means to be Jewish or Christian, we are also called to love ourselves. We must remember that, in the end, our friends, neighbors and we are ultimately in God's hands and not in our hands.

By God's grace, we are all free to make choices to live in freedom rather than oppression. We are free to choose to live right and well, and to live in the unconditional love of God, regardless of what difficult circumstances might vex us. A relationship ends, a career ends, a family situation changes - these losses and setbacks can undo us. I have been derailed for years by life changes and simply felt I had no choice but to suffer and be unhappy. But I did and do have a choice - to live in the freedom from fear that God promises.

We have so much more to offer others when we are connected to God in a real and powerful way. We don't need to be afraid. We can be free to serve ourselves and others.

We cannot serve others if we are overwhelmed with our own pain and sadness. The good news is that God wants us to be free - free to love ourselves and others regardless of the pain and sadness that might be present in our lives.

Bill Peatman writes from Napa.