Running Past Freedom in a World Obsessed With Gaza, Ukraine, Charlie Kirk, Jimmy Kimmel & Power

I was on a run the other day in Key Largo, at a familiar stretch of road I’ve passed a hundred times before. Same perfect temperature. Same clean air. Same pace. Same pathway. Just running and thinking. Thinking about the new year, staring down that soft pressure to say something meaningful in this blog, and honestly, not being sure what to post at all.

And then I ran past it again. An old, weathered sign, overgrown by grass and surrounded by junk. One word, faded but fighting to stay noticed: FREEDOM

Freedom sign on Overseas Highway, Key Largo - mile marker 97

I don’t know who put it there or when. It doesn’t advertise anything. It doesn’t explain itself. It just sits there, quietly asking for attention. As I passed it, it struck me - freedom seems like as good a topic as any right now.

Because that word feels louder than ever lately.

Freedom certainly dominated headlines and arguments in 2025. Take a quick peak at the best arial photos from 2025. From the Palestinian–Israeli conflict to Ukraine, from Charlie Kirk to Jimmy Kimmel to Trump, everyone is reaching for the same idea, often with completely different definitions.

Freedom is defined, defended, manipulated, and certainly weaponized depending on who’s holding the microphone. Would you agree? And yet, as noisy as it has been in 2025, the topic of freedom still feels strangely out of reach.

Most of what we call freedom is external:

Borders.

Rights.

Speech.

Power.

Autonomy.

Who decides, who controls, who wins.

Don't hear what I'm not saying. I'm not saying these things don't matter. They do. They shape real lives. They absolutely matter. But are these things in their rightful place and are we expecting these things to do more than they ever could? Because even when nations achieve freedom, people don’t automatically experience peace. We know this! Even when speech is protected, hearts find a way to become restless again. Even when power changes hands, anxiety, fear and resentment survive the transition. It's just a reality. Honestly, regardless of who steps into the role of President, Prime Minister, or Dictator for that matter. An absence of peace is still going to be a thing in this world.

We want freedom from something. Perhaps it's oppression, our enemies, systems, people. Rarely do we ask what we’re free for. And that’s where the conversation usually dissolves into shouting.

Consider Jesus. Jesus steps into that chaos without raising His voice. He didn’t promise political control or cultural dominance. He didn’t organize a revolt. He offered something far more subversive, that is, internal freedom. Freedom from sin, from fear, from the exhausting need to justify ourselves or defeat everyone else.

“Peace I leave with you,” Jesus said. Not as the world gives. - John 14:27

I know. That kind of freedom doesn’t trend. It won’t win debates. But it does what no ideology ever has. It brings peace to the soul. It has for me. It can for you. I don't offer many guarantees in life. I'll offer that one.

I ran by that freedom sign several times last week. The sign is still in Key Largo, but the questions in my mind followed me back to Miami, and then Charleston. I'm guessing that's because the freedom we seek isn't external. Never has been. Freedom is an inside job. If you want freedom, regardless of the thing you're wresling with, the only place to find it is within the self.

Jesus can help with that. Peace I leave with you," Jesus said. Not as the world gives.

May your New Year involve a radical search for a peace that goes beyond anything you can image. Peace & love to you. ~ Paul